Kaira Rouda

I’m thrilled to welcome Andrea – a fellow beach lover - as my first interview of 2012! And I love the one word that describes her: Sentimental. (The first step in creating your personal brand, no matter your business, is being able to describe yourself clearly. See Real You Incorporated, my business book, for more.) Anyway, here’s Andrea:

Besides writing, what are your other passions/hobbies? I’m an avid television and movie watcher. I have several shows I watch on a regular weekly basis, plus “General Hospital.” I don’t go to the theatre that often, but I love to watch new DVD or PPV releases. I also love to read.

What is your favorite season? Spring. The weather is warming up, the trees and flowers are beginning to grow back, and everything seems to have a beautiful, fresh start.

If you could live anyplace on earth, where would it be? Hawaii. I love the beach and the ocean. I would love to live right there on it every day of the year. I also like the idea of the climate: not cold, but not overly hot either, from my understanding. And it just looks beautiful!

Tell us about your writing: I’ve been writing since I was a kid. I loved writing papers for school, and making up stories. I even designed a magazine when I was in high school because I felt the ones available weren’t right for me. Writing became serious for me in college when I decided to make it my career. Now, it’s what I do every day, and I can’t imagine doing anything else. There are days when I feel I need a break from it, but I would never give it up. I don’t have a set schedule like I hear most writers do. I’m disabled, and can tire easily. I write when I feel like it, and up to it, as often as I can. Sometimes it will be daily. Other times, just a few days a week.

Do you listen to music or do you need a quiet place to write? Not usually. Sometimes I’ll put some on in the background. I like Adult Contemporary, or what I used to call Pop: Celine Dion, Whitney Houston, Billy Joel, etc.

Tell us about your book: My first book is The Chosen. It’s the first in a series. I combined ideas from different areas, but mostly from a role-playing game I played with my family. I used our characters and created a world for them, and my own personalities and quests for them. I used ideas I had from other fantasy books and movies I’ve enjoyed over the years, and just made the book my own.

What is it about? A young dwarf named Halli who learns she’s a Holy Paladin with the power to heal. She is told that she’ll be joining a group of warriors called The Chosen on a quest to defeat an evil-doer who is set on destroying their world. Halli and the rest of The Chosen must stop him and save their world.

 Your other work: The second book in The Chosen series has just gone under contract. I’m currently working on the edits, and am very excited to have the second one coming out this year! I’m working on the first draft of the third book, and I have a concept in mind for the fourth.

Where can readers connect with you?

My Website: http://www.andisrealm.webs.com/

My Blog: http://andisrealm.webs.com/apps/blog/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Andrea.Buginsky.Author https://www.facebook.com/andrea.buginsky

Twitter: @andreabuginsky

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4515588.Andrea_Buginsky

Google+ https://plus.google.com/u/0/117234398007434496419/posts

WoMen’s Literary Café: http://womensliterarycafe.com/content/pull-chair-andrea-buginsky

Where can we buy your books?

Solstice Publishing: http://www.solsticepublishing.com/products/The-Chosen-%252d%252d%252d-PDF-EBOOK.html

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/The-Chosen-ebook/dp/B004GEAH0O/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1325389257&sr=1-1

Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/33450

Fictionwise: http://www.fictionwise.com/ebooks/b117198/?si=0

Ebookwise: http://www.ebookwise.com/ebooks/b117198/?si=43

Thank you for having me, Kaira! I enjoyed visiting with you and your followers today.

Thanks for being with us, Andrea! Keep writing!

I hope your 2012 is off to a wonderful start! So far, mine has been filled with resettling (we moved), playing nurse (my daughter had surgery two days ago), and working on the finishing touches of my next novel that will be coming out this month!

It’s always good to acknowledge the tough times, as well as the good in your life. Be sure to ask for help if you need it, count your blessings everyday and take time to notice the little things.

May your 2012 be the best year yet!

So excited to welcome Bonnie to my blog! Aside from a last name almost as hard to spell as mine (Sturdivant Rouda), we have so much in common!  Welcome Bonnie!

It’s such a pleasure to be here, Kaira. Thank you for inviting me to the Real You
blog!

Besides writing, what are your
other passions/hobbies? My passions include animals (especially cats), spending time with close friends and family, romantic comedies, spiritual books (especially those dealing with life after death), classic movies, Italian food, fine wine, politics, bike riding, and long walks in pretty places.

If you could live anyplace on
earth, where would it be? Why? I’d love to live in Tuscany (as you may guess by my descriptions in Wedlocked) because it has great wine, delicious food, friendly,
fascinating people, and it is one of the most exquisite places on earth. Now
all I need to do is learn Italian!

How long have you been writing? I’ve been writing since grade school. I loved when we were given creative writing assignments. While lots of kids moaned about them, I was secretly thrilled, as writing came naturally to me. In high school and college, English was my best subject. When I graduated, I started writing screenplays while working other
jobs. It wasn’t until I was thirty that I finally got published in a national
magazine and felt comfortable calling myself “a writer.” After a few more
articles I got my first day job writing for a small newspaper in Phoenix, and then a bigger one in Los Angeles. I also found lots of freelance work in the entertainment industry,( ie. writing scripts for children’s videos, adapting screenplays into children’s books.) Later, I did lots of copywriting and public relationships before landing my dream job as senior writer/copy chief at Book-of-the-Month Club. What could be better than reading good books and writing about them? I can only think of one thing: writing my own books! I
finally did and it was published in June 2011. A second is on its way.

Is there some place special you like to be when you write? There are a few different places in my home that I like to write depending on my mood. I have a small office with a roll-top desk which I suppose is the most ergonomically correct place to write. However, for a change of pace I’ll set myself up on the couch in the downstairs den, and on nasty, cold days I love to write from bed.

Do you listen to music or do you need a quiet place to write? Much as I love music, I can’t play it while I’m writing. I find that the lyrics get in the way of creating word flow and dialogue. Hmmm…maybe I should try some classical though. (Me, too, Bonnie!!)

Tell us about Wedlocked: My book is a romantic comedy called Wedlocked: A
Novel. It is a stand alone book, although interestingly, an awful lot of
people have been asking me for a sequel.

Where did the idea come from? The book is based on my first brief, unfortunate marriage, so not surprisingly the protagonist is very much like me. Readers are often shocked to learn that some of the most bizarre, over-the-top scenes in the book are actually true.

     Wedlocked is the funny, engaging story of Rebecca Ross, a thirty-six-year-old struggling actress who lets years of disappointment and heartache catapult her into a disastrous marriage and onto a honeymoon from hell. There are also some compelling, underlying themes, including: pursuing dreams, mother-daughter strife, finding love, and finding
oneself.

Your other work: I have two books coming out in 2012. The first is another romantic comedy, although I’m not ready to release the title of it yet. The second is a humor book
inspired by all the laws of attraction books on the market. It’s called The Fine Art of Delusional Thinking.

Where can readers connect with you?

I would love to hear from readers! You can contact me here:

Website:
http://www.BonnieTrachtenberg.com

Blog: http://www.BonnieTrachtenberg.com/Bonnies-Blog

Facebook:
http://www.Facebook.com/BonnieTrachtenberg and http://www.Facebook.com/Wedlocked

Twitter:
http://twitter.com/#!/writebrainedny

Where can we buy your books?

Amazon: http://ning.it/qC1y2V

Barnes
and Noble: http://ning.it/pPRGvC

Ebook is
on sale now for only 99cents!

Yippee! Another author interview on my blog. This time, please meet author DL Sparks! She’s also part of the Holiday Sirens promotion. Take it away, D.L.!

Tell us a bit about yourself: Besides writing, what are your other passions/hobbies?  I love to read and enjoy going to the movies. I love anything that will allow me to escape the “real world” just for a little while.

Describe yourself in one word:  Resilient

What is your favorite season? Spring. It represents a times of renewal and shedding of old things.

Tell us about your writing:  I have been writing for a little over three years.  It
started out as a hobby and I believe because of my love of reading it naturally
evolved into a passion for writing. I usually write when the mood strikes so it can be
anytime and for any length of time. Sometimes I will get an idea for a scene I
have to hammer out and be at my computer for hours and other times it may just
be some dialogue or plot points I need to jot down and I’m up and done.

I don’t really have a “special” place to write. Right now my laptop is dead but when it wasn’t I would power it up and wherever I was that’s where I would write. Now I’m forced to stay in my office at my desktop. I feel like a prisoner at times but I do get a lot more work done! I can’t write without my music and the television on.
LOL! Complete silence drives me nuts. I need both sides of my brain occupied
when I’m writing or I can’t concentrate on what I’m doing. I know that sounds
weird but I’ve always been like that. Even in school and college when I would
study I always had something going on in the background.

Tell us about your book: The title is BETWEEN FRIENDS. It is a stand alone book. I
played around with it being a part of a series but it took on a life of its
own. It definitely does well as a stand alone. I do see these characters,
however, showing up again at some point.

I have always loved law enforcement and I wanted to do a
story that showed the side that most don’t get to see, the side that is
revealed when the gun and badge are put away for the evening. The idea to
follow these three friends through grade school to college, subsequently having
the main character Trip Spencer become a DEA agent and Lincoln Briscoe an
Atlanta Police officer was a way of adding tension to the plot of the romantic
side of the story. People do crazy things for love including putting their
careers at stake. Lincoln and Trip have been at odds since college and the
animosity between DEA taking over and APD case, HIS APD case added great
tension and was extremely fun to write.

It took me a total of about eight months to write the
book’s first draft and another 3-4 for edits. I did a lot of research with the
DEA agency and Atlanta Police Department here in Atlanta because I wanted this
to ring as true to form as possible.

What is it about? A huge multi-million dollar drug bust brings D.E.A. agent ORLANDO “TRIP” SPENCER back to his hometown after being gone for several years and he’s not the only one unhappy about the return home. IDALIS ARRINGTON and Trip have been best friends since they were little. Nothing or nobody could come between them growing up,
that’s until she meets Lincoln in college. With Trip back in Atlanta Idalis’
perfect world starts to get messy a little messy and she finds herself praying
that his visit is a short one until a family tragedy pushes the two closer
together. But the question is can she hold it together or will the sound of the
skeletons in her own closet drown out what she’s convinced herself has been the
truth all these years? LINCOLN  BRISCOE is a Lieutenant with the Atlanta Police Department and knows he has a lot at stake with his girlfriend’s best friend  back in town but he refuses to let anyone, especially agent Spencer, jeopardize the life he’s worked so hard to build with Idalis.

Your other work: My first book THE LIES THAT BIND is also available on Amazon.com as well. I am currently working on my next romantic crime suspense novel but I don’t have a title for that one yet.

Readers can find me all over the internet. I am on  Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/D.L.Sparks and on  Twitter @dlsparks and my website at www.dlsparks.com. My books are available everywhere online.

I’m so excited to welcome Emerald Barnes to my blog! And now, you’ll have a chance to learn a little bit more about this novella author!

Besides writing, what are your other passions/hobbies? Spending time with my nieces and nephew! I have two beautiful nieces and one handsome nephew! My sister just found out she’s going to have another baby, so I’ll be an aunt for the fourth time and I just love spending time with those little guys! I also love reading and watching my favorite TV shows when I need some down time from my busy days.
What is your favorite season? Why? No doubt it would be fall. I love the color the leaves turn, driving down the road and the dead leaves flying about my car, and the smell of the crisp morning air chilled by the incoming cool weather.

How long have your been writing? It started as more of a hobby, but after I decided to not be an English teacher at university, I set my goal on writer, and I have been focused on making it a dream come true ever since. I write when I have time. Mostly, I grab a few minutes here and there during the day or at night when I don’t have everything else going on, but I try to aim for at least 1000-2000 word count each day, but that doesn’t mean I ever make it. Nor do I beat myself up for not reaching that goal. As long as I manage a sentence or paragraph a day, I’m happy with what I’ve accomplished.
Is there some place special you like to be when you write? I usually write sitting in my recliner. It’s not special but comfortable.
Tell us about your novella? My novella is Piercing Through the Darkness. There will be a sequel since my readers want more of the story, but it’s not going to be a series. The sequel will finish everything off. The idea originated from an idea I had about a girl being attacked but not knowing the reason why. After sitting in my psychology class in college while we were studying hypnotism and repressed memories, I wrote a short story involving the two, and since I wanted more, I wrote a novella. It is about my characters figuratively trying to fight their way out of the darkness. Kandi’s mind has repressed memories of a tragic accident, and she has no idea why her college Biology teacher, who was a victim of the accident, hates her. She’s trying to figure out what she did and why Jonathan Chandler hates her.
Do you have any upcoming projects in the works or other books that have been published? I have upcoming projects but nothing other than short stories published. I am working on Lighting the Darkness, the sequel to Piercing through the Darkness. Also, I have a YA suspense/thriller novel in editing stages, as well as the first book of a paranormal/fantasy novel entering the editing stage.

To connect with Emerald, find her on Twitter and on her website!