 Jason was born and raised in Greenville, South Carolina. He is the oldest of three boys, and raised in a traditional, southern, conservative Christian household. He grew up with a flair for drawing pictures, but always loved a good story. He did just enough in high school to get into Erskine College, where he majored in Physical Education. Jason served as a public school teacher in PE and as a coach in several sports for several years. His interest in lifting weights led him to a brief career both full time and part time in fitness. All the while, he also worked a side job as the nicest bouncer in town…leading him to a career in law enforcement. Jason works as a training officer for a hospital police department today, but has also channeled the creative talents from drawing into writing stories. Each stop in his career path has prepared him for something more, and he weaves this life experience into his tales. But he doesn’t just write to tell a good story. He is on a mission himself, just like the main FBI agent in his first novel. John Knox began his mission in November of 2014, an FBI agent on a path to become a missionary. Jason’s mission – to reveal light in the darkness of the world around us through Christian fiction, one reader at a time. Jason resides in the upstate of South Carolina with his lovely wife, his ultra-intelligent teenage son, and four dogs. Growing up, every now and then I used to sit down and write a poem about something happening in my life. Poetry was one of the few things I liked about English classes in school, but I wasn’t a reader. What I had going for me was that I always had something to say, as far back as I can remember (Mom and Dad called me Motor-mouth when I was around 3 years old). And poetry is what got me started as a writer in my adult life. It was 2002, and my wife and I were set to have twins. Unfortunately, following a short trip to the beach with my in-laws, we came back to bad news in my wife’s next checkup. The doctor broke tragic news to us that one of our twin boys had passed. This was a bittersweet time for our entire family; we had lost a child we so looked forward to seeing, but we still had a little boy who stood a chance. The rest of the pregnancy was high risk, and of course had strong emotional impact on both my wife and me. It had been a while, but I wrote a poem to cope with the loss on my part, and to try to give my wife some sort of closure. Thankfully, my son Jay was born to us a few months later in the summer of 2002. Meanwhile, that poem sparked something to life in me. I began writing more poetry. I lost a collection of poetry some time ago that I shared with people here and there back then – a collection I called Daddy’s poems, showing the first couple of years of life as a father. It was during this time of sharing poetry with the guidance counselor and librarian at the school in which I worked, that it was suggested that I try to write a book. I began taking their advice… and I wrote the beginning of one story…and another… and another. But I just couldn’t seem to finish a story. It would take the words of Stephen King, something about you’ll never make it as an author until you actually sit down and write an entire story, to get me to come to my senses. It also took time, and a short run at two careers (PE Teacher/ coach, and Wellness Director/ Personal Trainer) before my job as a training officer in law enforcement, which I hold today. Then one night, as I checked in with a security officer when I was a police officer on night shift at a hospital, that the perfect inspiration came to me for the first story. The security officer was cleaning out the knife inventory drawer near the metal detector, and he tossed a little plastic bag aside. “Why is this in here? It’s not a weapon,” he stated as I picked up the small baggie. I took out the contents and held it up. It was a small golden cross; a necklace charm, but bigger than most I’d seen. I studied the cross in my hand, and an idea occurred to me. I spoke up to the security officer, Officer Pace I believe; “No – but it could be a calling card.” I smiled at him and walked into our substation office near the metal detector. I sat down at the computer and took a plain white piece of paper from the printer. Using a pen, I scratched out an outline of main ideas; a chronological order of events surrounding a broken man who takes revenge against a religion he hates, leaving a gold cross at the scene of each assassination of important religious figures. The Jesus Assassin was born. A few months later, I sent out attachment after attachment of the original rough version of Misguided, to agents and publishers everywhere. I received several rejection letters and e-mails. Some of this upset me; some didn’t. But the fact was that I had done it; I’d written my very first novel! And my father was one of the most supportive people in that early part of my writing career, bragging to all his friends and family that his oldest boy had written a book. After learning a little more about the publishing world and talking to a close friend, I decided to attempt self-publishing. I published on Amazon using CreateSpace, and on December 19th, 2014, I had my first book signing. My dad invited several people, and I had friends from several circles attend. I decided to make the venue a local bar where I bounced a few years prior; the folks at Chicora Alley in Greenville, SC were more than accommodating. And Dad made a toast at the end of the evening that helped me realize one of the proudest moments in my life. So that’s how it all started for me. That was four years ago; I’ve written five more books since then. I am steadily working on number seven. I’ve started a fictional universe that keeps expanding with every exciting dynamic character I add to pages. I’ve learned so much more about self-publishing since then. I have not ruled out traditional publishing, but self-publishing is the main path for me because I am my own man, and to quote Frank Sinatra, I can always say regarding most of my novels: “I did it myyyyyyyyyyy way!” Hunting Parties When I started my Agent John Knox universe, I realized my investigators would have to move on to several stories far beyond their pursuit of the elusive Jesus Assassin. It occurred to me that it would be unique if I could figure out a way, since I was writing Christian fiction, to somehow show my agents in the FBI eventually become missionaries. Hunting Parties, five books later, finally shows the beginnings of the works of these missionaries… and so much more. An ex-con sits in a cell, being interrogated by a Muslim Sheikh. An assassin and his female counterpart are hunting down ISIS leaders in an attempt to change the current American landscape. A former federal agent is helping a former killer and his cousin in the mission field, and they’re not just preaching the gospel. This is just how the story starts. Hunting Parties follows the tales of several characters as they hunt for answers; answers to questions that have a direct impact on the future political climates of America and Europe. Who is holding the ex-con prisoner, and why don’t they just kill him already? What’s in store for the assassin, and the woman he is falling for? What can the armed and dangerous missionaries do about the radical Islamic onslaught that has befallen Europe? How are all the parties in question related? Find out more in this story of political and religious intrigue, where Muslims and Christians, killers and pacifists, and children and their parents are all at odds with one another. Can the Hunters all find what they seek? Find Jason on Facebook, Youtube and Twitter along with his website Where to Buy Hunting Parties
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 Bestselling Author Karen Docter writes contemporary romance with a kick of humor and heat. When she feels the need to feed the dark side, she writes romantic suspense as K.L. Docter. She's an award-winning author, a four-time Romance Writers of America® Golden Heart® finalist and won the coveted Kiss of Death Romance Writers Daphne du Maurier Award Category (Series) Romantic Mystery Unpublished division. I can pinpoint the exact moment my writing career began—cough, cough—years ago. I was reading a romance novel that wasn’t great but it wasn’t bad enough to put down. At the time, I forced myself to read through those marginal books, always hoping it would get better or I’d grow to like the characters a little bit more, at least enough to care what happens to them. Sometimes, I was rewarded. More often than not, I wasn’t. This was one of the latter. In fact, when I closed the book I was so irritated with the ending, I tossed down the book and said to my husband, “I can write a better story.” My husband’s reply? “So, why don’t you?” The idea took hold not only because I was confident I could write a quality romance novel—I have a Technical Journalism degree and editing experience, after all—and my brain was getting cobwebs from lack of use. Well, it felt that way to me. ☺ I’d left my challenging job in business management to stay home with the kids. We lived in the Rocky Mountains more than half an hour from civilization and I was babysitting from 6-12 kids (some after school) every day. As the only mountain mom in daycare, I was in high demand. It didn’t take me long to realize, though, that munchkins under the age of six are not great conversationalists. I needed a grown-up outlet. I spent the next two years letting two “perfect” books drip off my fingertips in my spare time. Loving the creative process, I began to consider publication as a career. When we moved to California I joined RWA (Romance Writers of America) and that’s when I learned the single, most valuable lesson I’ve carried with me for years. Write what you know. Everyone who’s been in the business for any length of time has heard this pat advice at least once. Thankfully, when I joined RWA, I had the good fortune of becoming critique partners with bestselling authors, Barbara Freethy (New York Times) and Melissa McClone (USA Today). The first time I brought one of my “perfect” romance novels to critique, they gently told me the premise of my book wouldn’t work based on the demands of a will that wouldn’t fly in a community property state. Wait! My baby isn’t perfect? “But it’s fiction! Everyone knows fiction is ‘made up’!” I wailed. Maybe I didn’t sound quite that childish but their memory might be different than mine ☺. Their response? “Our stories have to be based in facts because our readers are smart.” I’m paraphrasing but essentially it means we have to respect our readers. If we break their trust, they’ll never read us again. It’s a career killer…not to be confused with a serial killer. Lie to a reader and there won’t be a second chance or a third, the definition of a serial killer. Ultimately, I learned that write what you know doesn’t mean you should write only from personal experience—yes, I was that naïve—because, let’s face it, most of us can’t experience everything we may want to write. I do not want to meet a serial killer like those I write in my romantic suspense! If we want to be successful authors, we need to know more than our experiences. That takes research. Lots and lots of research. I learned my lesson at that first critique session and spent the intervening years bolstering my knowledge. My RWA chapter at the time had a library with hundreds of workshops on cassette. Yep, aging myself further! I checked out 2-4 a month and learned craft, writing techniques, publication requirements, etc. With every book I’ve written, I’ve researched something new to add authenticity to the story. When I wrote my romantic comedy, Satin Pleasures, I researched canaries and orchids. The heroine had two canoodling canaries named Anthony and Cleopatra. Her landscaping father raised exotic orchids. Before writing my contemporary romance, Cop On Her Doorstep, I attended my city’s Citizen’s Police Academy. For the next book in the True Love In Uniform series, I talked to police officers about their professional lives and researched the heroine’s business designing stained glass. I’m learning how to make maps for the town I’ve created. For the sequel (Dead Ringer—Coming Soon) to my romantic suspense Thorne’s Thorns series, Killing Secrets, I’ve researched how the FBI works and toured a working cattle ranch. I credit my success as a writer to that first lesson, of writing what I know. My books aren’t laden with all of my research. Sometimes it simply gives me insight into my characters or their situation. My stories have a depth I didn’t have then. It is gratifying when my readers tell me my characters are as real to them as their neighbors or family members. My reading and writing habits have changed a lot since those early days. I haven’t the patience anymore to wind my way through stories I can’t enjoy. Life’s too short. I certainly don’t want to be one of those authors a reader tosses my book onto the table. I write what I know because they deserve the very best stories I can give them. Cop on Her Doorstep, True Love in a Uniform Carrie Padilla knows there’s only one thing she can do to save what is left of her family, her husband’s memory, and her heart…avoid her new neighbor at all costs. S.W.A.T. officer Jake Stefani doesn’t count on his intriguing neighbor distracting him from his job, the passion that flares between them, or the way his heart is captured by Carrie’s fatherless son. Jake is ready to risk everything for Carrie, body and soul. If their new love is to survive, Carrie will need to be strong enough to see Jake’s heart behind the badge, to look beyond the pain of her past, and decided that loving again is worth the risk. Where to Buy Cop on Her Doorstep Larry Cavender is a retired high school English teacher and a former broadcast journalist, with stints as a radio disc-jockey and news reporter as well as a cable television sports play-by-play and color commentator. He is also a veteran having served twenty-four years with the 116th Tactical Fighter Wing of the Georgia Air National Guard based at Dobbins Air Reserve Base in Marietta, Georgia and later at Robins Air Force Base in Warner Robins, Georgia. The retired Technical Sergeant was awarded the Air Force Commendation Medal for service in southwest Asia during Operation Southern Watch in 1998, and also received the Georgia Commendation Award for volunteer service during the great middle Georgia floods of 1994. In 1984, Cavender graduated with high honors with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Secondary Education from Kennesaw State University and was twice named to Who's Who in American Universities. In 1981, he was named the Cherokee County, Georgia, Business Person of the Year. He is now a part time news reporter and features writer for the Pickens County Progress newspaper in Jasper, Georgia. Before publishing his latest book, The World Turned Upside Down: A forgotten man's view of our fractured and upturned world, he wrote and published two other books of local history, A Patchwork Quilt and Another Patchwork Quilt. Cavender's latest book is available on Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com for $14.99. E-book versions are also available for $5.99. The only thing that separates the human race from animals, I have often thought, is our ability to read and write. I have always enjoyed putting pen to paper, and in fact, when I was a teenager, I always kept a pen and notepad in the nightstand by my bed and often fell asleep at night starting many an unfinished novel. I dedicated my life to three challenging yet very rewarding careers, and because of that, I was unable to find much time to write. Although I sometimes dabbled in writing, penning an occasional poem or short story, I found most of my writing to be in the form of news copy or red ink notations on high school student's essays. When I retired from teaching five years ago, I was lucky enough to have been hired as a part time news reporter and features writer by a former student, Dan Pool, who is now the Editor of the Pickens County Progress newspaper in Jasper, Georgia. The feature stories I wrote about my hometown that were printed in the newspaper led to the publication of my first two books, which were collections of those feature articles. Those books proved to be very popular with the local audience. With my latest book, The World Turned Upside Down: A forgotten man's view of our fractured and upturned world, my targeted audience shifted from local to national readers. Recently, I have been troubled with the changes I see taking shape in the United States. Tiring of all of the hate, intolerance, and vitriol, I decided to address many of the changes I have seen in the course of my lifetime that I think may prove detrimental to my beloved nation. As I state in the book, "In our nation, where once scholars roamed the halls of academia, we now have socialists, anarchists, and even avowed terrorists donning professor's robes...Where people were once innocent until proven guilty, they are now found to be guilty, despite their innocence, by the prosecutorial mainstream media and in the court of public opinion...Where the anti-establishment of the 1960's and '70's have now become the establishment of the past three decades...Where once policemen and servicemen were revered and honored and criminals, thugs, and enemies were reviled and abhorred, now the reverse is true...Where we now have people who kneel during the playing of our national anthem, yet fewer and fewer people are kneeling in prayer in our houses of worship...Where once the Judeo-Christian principles on which our nation was founded were valued and protected, our principles are being demeaned and attacked. Is this not the world turned upside down?" In my speaking engagements, I always recognize the veterans in the audience for their sacrifices. I am proud of my military service, but nowhere near as proud of my dad and his service. Dad landed at Omaha Beach, fought in the bocage of Normandy, the Falaise Gap, the Hurtgen Forest, and the Battle of the Bulge. That is why I dedicated my new book to "...Sergeant Roger W. Cavender, my dad and real-life hero, and all those like him who have worn the uniform in the service of our country. Whether you have worn the uniform of the United States Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Coast Guard, or any law enforcement agency, fire department, or emergency medical services, this book is dedicated to you." Because of the terrible changes sweeping over the United States, I pray that the sacrifices of my dad and all those like him will not be in vain. This is the reason why I wrote, The World Turned Upside Down: A forgotten man's view of our fractured and upturned world. The World Turned Upside Down Why is the World Turned Upside Down? In our nation, where once scholars roamed the halls of academia, we now have socialists, anarchists, and even avowed terrorists donning professor’s robes....Where people were once innocent until proven guilty, they are now found to be guilty, despite their innocence, by the prosecutorial mainstream media and in the court of public opinion....Where the anti-establishment of the 1960s and ‘70s have now become the establishment of the past three decades....Where once policemen and servicemen were revered and honored and criminals, thugs, and enemies were reviled and abhorred, now the reverse is true....Where we now have people who kneel during the playing of our national anthem, yet fewer and fewer people are kneeling in prayer in our houses of worship....Where once the Judeo-Christian principles on which our nation was founded were valued and protected, our principles are being demeaned and attacked. Is this not the world turned upside down? Where to Buy The World Turned Upside Down Kay Jay is a 43 year-old teacher, trying to write around that, raising a 9-year-old (with help from my lovely, supportive husband) and training for marathons. The Good thing about publishing your own work as an unknown, middle-aged author is most definitely the freedom. It’s important to me that writing is fun. Like running, it’s something I want to get as good as I can at, but I’m under no illusions it’s going to allow me to quit the day job. I wrote a book that I would want to read, and I knew that the chances of landing an agent and a publishing deal were pretty much zero, so I didn't really try. It took me nine years to get 'Dunn' – my ‘darkly humourous psychological suspense’ novel- right. Dunn is set in London circa 2010 and is named after the main character, Aidan Dunn. Aidan is a self-centred, greedy young man. He’s horrible, and he was meant to be. I like character driven books that give a detailed insight into why people do what they do. I also get fed up with reading books about bad things happening to nice people. I wanted to show how anyone could fall for a psychotherapy cult without creating and torturing nice people. So, that's what I did. My characters are all pretty horrible and my plot is intricate and detailed (more on my motivations for ‘Dunn’ on my blog). It won't be everyone’s cup of tea, as we say in the U.K – but so far, ‘Dunn’s received enough positive reviews to keep me motivated with the marketing. Self-publishing – The good, the bad and the downright frustrating There are loads of companies offering self-publishing packages that include cover design, formatting, production, distribution and the terrifying marketing. I wanted my novel to look good and to get an idea of marketing options for future books. So, I went with a company with a good reputation – Matador/Troubador. Good My questions/queries were addressed quickly and effectively from the start. The production of my paperback and eBook was a breeze. They listened to me, and I am extremely happy with the end product. They also offered various marketing options. I opted for extended eBook marketing, which listed my book for free download by 'reading professionals’ on Netgalley and created an Amazon ad. They also tried to help me get my book featured in local media. This was also all good. I got some mixed reviews, but that was to be expected. The bad and downright frustrating So far, I have to conclude that most of the local media here in Sussex aren’t interested if you are self-published and unknown. Even independent bookshops seem unwilling to host book signings (with no pressure to take stock and not even a courtesy reply), and many book bloggers have lists. I knew that marketing was going to be hard, and I didn't expect 'Dunn’ to be a best seller, but I don't think I had really grasped just what a time-eating, draining process promotion would be. Or how restrictive it was to publish with a company that handles your sales and distribution internally. And I don't think I had any idea that no one would give me regular updates on sales numbers. That, and the fact that it's hard to make my book visible, could be extremely demotivating. But I’m not like that. If my short career as a research scientist taught me anything, it was that if one thing doesn't work, you try something else. I just have to work out what. What's next/what will I do differently I am extremely pleased with Troubador’s product. Independent Netgalley listings and Amazon ads aren’t cheap, so the extended eBook marketing was good value. The social media marketing wasn’t worth it, though. I've done better with that myself and I need to research further marketing options more thoroughly to build my platform (all suggestions welcomed). I also feel that I had little real choice in pricing and that giveaway options etc are restrictive with Troubador (that may be misunderstanding on my part). I find it really frustrating how little information I get about sales, and whilst this is not entirely down to the company, I feel they should do more here. I also think they should offer to help arrange book signings/ blogtours etc. I am currently writing a young adult, mythology-based, urban fantasy (just longlisted for the 2018 Wattys), and I will investigate my publishing options more for this one. I am considering trying to get an agent, but I don’t think I would go to the other extreme and go totally independent. I want a well-produced end product, and marketing services that include Netgalley/ amazon ads seem a good idea (though I have no evidence that they affect sales). Guest post opportunities like this are really important, so I need to do some legwork and try to make my work more visible. I did a blog tour with Silverdagger, and that was well-organised; motivating and fun, but I think I really need to get more of my writing ‘out there’. I’ve made a start with this on Wattpad, but need to check out other options – being longlisted for the Wattys is a great encouragement. Maybe I will look into other competitions and developing a few short-stories too. I'll just keep trying new things. Dunn Aidan Dunn Aidan Dunn is a man driven by money and power – he just doesn’t have any. What he does have - he thinks - is charm. He’s been honing his manipulation skills as a charity collector for years, earning enough commission to rent a bedsit and keep him in lager. But it’s time for bigger and better things. He needs a break or a meal ticket. Rich, vulnerable looking Sophie Harris could be the answer. The problem is, Sophie seems immune to his charms. When she isn’t at work, she spends her time at a group which she won’t tell him about. Worse still, she won’t commit to seeing him. It’s infuriating and addictive, so when Sophie finally seems to melt and asks him to come with her to a Salvation program meeting, Aidan is putty in her hands. Because nobody's perfect At the meeting, ex-model front woman, Yvette Blake, and the program’s charismatic founder, doctor Jeffers, seem to be offering the route to money and power that Aidan seeks. All he has to do is climb the ladder and become a ‘Savior’ with the chance of securing a lucrative ‘Salvation program’ franchise. The problem is, it costs too much. Fortunately, Sophie is willing to pay for him. She needs recruits to progress in the program, so what has Aidan got to lose? Nothing but his sanity, his freedom and his chance of true love with fellow initiate, Lizzie. Find Kay Jay at her website, and on Facebook, and Twitter Where to Buy Dunn K.T. Lynn is an American Muslim living in Shanghai, China. She is a social media manager by day, and a novelist by night. Her hobbies include reading, scuba-diving, and traveling. She aims to promote cross-cultural understanding through her work, which has been featured in Toastmasters International Magazine, DIYMFA, SISTERS, Amaliah, Blue Abaya, Saudi Life, and Productive Muslim. K.T. Lynn's first novel is based on her time in Saudi Arabia, and is set for publication in late 2019. She is currently writing her second novel. You can read about her misadventures at www.ktlynn.com . facebook: @faithisgreaterthanfear instagram: author_ktlynn email: author.ktlynn@gmail.com How My Writing Journey Began
I spent most of my childhood lost in a fictional playground. Stacks of library books were my companions. Children playmates didn't interest me. It seemed simple. If you want to become a writer, just write! And until my senior year of high school, it was. During my last year of high school, a well-respected member of the high schools faculty accused me of plagiarism. Without proof, the principal and school board allowed him to drag my name through the mud. The punishment of receiving no credit for the writing assignment I sweated over was annoying, but tolerable. It was his reasoning for suspicion that crushed my dreams. "You aren't smart enough to have written this well." Instead of allowing the teacher to spread his assault on my intellect, I withdrew. Keeping my head down, I graduated with the sting of plagiarism unchallenged. In the fall I started university in a new state. It was just the fresh start I needed to let my creativity shine. During registration, advising upperclassman warned me not to register with Mrs. May. "You don't want her as an English teacher. Not unless you want to stay up all night writing and rewriting your papers!" I registered for her English 101 class at eight A.M, determined to prove myself. Another Setback I toiled for days on our first assignment. After one last edit, I fell asleep. Unfortunately, I forgot to set my alarm. The next morning, I pressed print before throwing on some clothes, and running a brush through my tangles. After I collected the pages from the printer, I stomped on my shoes and ran all the way to the lecture hall, squeaking in at 7:59. When the stapler reached my desk, I fashioned the pages together with a click and passed my essay forward. Whew. I had made it. That Friday, our papers arrived with comments and corrections. On mine, a note in red was scrawled in the top right corner. "Be careful. D+. You had a B paper." I had stapled the pages together in the wrong order. In her effort to teach me a lesson, Mrs. May killed the last bit of gumption I had. Several weeks later I withdrew from her class, and changed my major to environmental science. I figured I wasn't a writer after all. That was until, my writing found me. Back to the Beginning Six years later, I was working in Washington D.C. as a geographer and miserable. Seeking a way out, I came across an advertisement for a certificate in teaching English. I registered the next day. Two weeks after completing the course, I was on a plane to Saudi Arabia. I taught English and began to chronicle my experiences on a blog. Each comment, like, and interaction with the online community, my voice grew stronger. At this point I had been promoted into curriculum development. Armed with a large blog following and some freelance writing pieces, I applied for a technical writing position. Finally, I was a writer after years of denying my childhood dreams. But, that was only the beginning. I spent the year as a technical writer forging relationships with the PR and marketing departments. Moonlighting as a journalist for the local newspaper, I continued to pad my portfolio with bylines. One day, I set a meeting with the lead editor of our PR department and simply asked. "How do I become a writer?" "Write more." He handed me a card. "Tell them I sent you." It was a PR firm needed freelancers. I started immediately. One by one, the jobs came. Paid or unpaid, I took them all. Some were smashing successes. Others were by in large failures. But, I kept going. Two years later, I was hired as a writer/editor. Now, I work in social media management and continue to freelance write and blog. Lessons Learned The three most important things I've learned from my journey as a writer:
Inspirations and Heroes I'm always inspired by reading quality writing. The stories that snag your imagination and won't let go! Some of my favorite authors include Tana French, Dot Hutchison, Naguib Mahfouz, Ahmed Tawfik, Amy Tan, Tayari Jones, Khaled Hosseini, and F. Scott Fitzgerald. I would love to meet Khaled Hosseini! Not only are his books heartbreakingly beautiful, but he uses his work to draw attention to social and political strife in a sensitive and poignant way. He is my writerspiration!  Karen Eisenbrey lives in Seattle, WA, where she leads a quiet, orderly life and invents stories to make up for it. Although she intended to be a writer from an early age, until her mid-30s she had nothing to say. A little bit of free time and a vivid dream about a wizard changed all that. Karen writes fantasy and science fiction novels, as well as short fiction in a variety of genres and the occasional poem if it insists. She also sings in a church choir, plays drums in a garage band, and was surprised to find herself writing songs for her debut YA novel The Gospel According to St. Rage. A YA wizard fantasy, Daughter of Magic, was released by Not a Pipe Publishing in 2018. She shares her life with her husband, two young adult sons, and two mature adult cats. Community and Opportunity I have never been ambitious or good at pursuing goals, so my writing journey has been long and slow. In the long run, that has worked out well. I always loved stories. I liked reading as soon as I learned how. I looked forward to writing assignments but didn't attempt to write a story on my own until I was 16. Not sure whether I was waiting for permission or needed a grade as motivation! From that point on, I wanted to be an author. I went to college, majored in literature, took fiction and poetry classes, wrote two bad practice novels ... and realized I had nothing to say. I gave up. Or did I? As a 20-something newlywed, I had ideas for goofy picture books (not for children but not inappropriate). I learned to draw just well enough to make five of them, each with fewer words than the last, and shared them with family and friends. I made one more when my firstborn was a toddler, then didn't write again until the chaos years: two young children, both parents working full time, household to manage. THAT'S when I needed to write? OK ... I still didn't have anything to say, but I attempted fan fiction, short stories, and another bad practice novel. Around this time, I went to hear Ursula K. LeGuin read at a local bookstore. I'd been a fan since my pre-teen years; she wrote the way I wanted to about the kinds of things I wished I could write about. As it happened, I entered the store right behind her and thought I would pass out, I was so starstruck. I might have said something coherent when I went up to have my book signed. I know she said something kind and supportive. She's my role model. After I'd been writing for two years, I had a brief, vivid dream with two wizards and at least three plot twists. When I described it to my husband, he suggested I put it into a book. I found the idea of writing a wizard book daunting. I'd loved the Earthsea trilogy and now Harry Potter was huge. Did I dare? But those plot twists ... I struggled for a year to get the story out of my head and the draft into shape, then more time making it kind of good. I liked the characters and setting enough to start a sequel, only to realize it was book 3. In order to start book 2 that summer, I made a deal with my kids: Mom gets one uninterrupted hour a day to write. By the end of the summer, I had a draft. Three books turned into four, then I worked up a science fiction novel that turned into two more. I made a few lame attempts to submit that first fantasy novel, but mostly, I wrote and revised and wrote some more. I joined a local writers' association to network, and won second prize in their annual contest before the group folded. The best thing I got out of it was a writing buddy. We met weekly for years, swapping chapters and giving feedback. She told me about Authonomy.com, Harper Collins' site for authors to upload manuscripts for comments from other authors. I never got near the editors' desk, but I received great feedback and “met” several of my now-favorite writers, who have become friends. Around the time Authonomy was winding down, a few participants formed the Pankhearst Collective and invited more of us to contribute to an anthology of young adult fiction titled Heathers. I didn't have anything on hand that fit the theme so I cooked up a short story about a girl so self-effacing she's invisible, until her “fairy godfather” puts a hat on her head and makes her visible. “Hat” was my first published work. I wrote two related stories and considered self-publishing them as an ebook until Pankhearst persuaded me to turn them into a novel that they would publish. Um, yes? I spent 2015 writing my garage-rock fairy tale The Gospel According to St Rage, released in summer 2016. Pankhearst folded its tent soon after and I once again considered self-publishing. Once again fate intervened. Another Authonomy veteran, Benjamin Gorman, had started Not A Pipe Publishing. He asked to use my Authonomy comment as a blurb for his first book. He had reviewed Heathers favorably, so I sent him a review copy of my novel. He said he wished he'd published it. The fifth book in my fantasy setting seemed like my best bet to submit to Not A Pipe, as the first book of a new series. Then Not A Pipe announced that 2018 would be “The Year of Publishing Women.” I wanted to get in on that as a matter of principle, but by the time my manuscript was ready, submissions had closed. I let them know I had something for when they reopened. “Send it now.” Daughter of Magic became one of nine Not A Pipe books released in 2018. It has been a beautiful ride, watching these exciting books come out in succession, editing and blurbing each other, going to each other's release events, taking part in panels. It's not what I expected when I dreamed of being a published author. There's little money in it and no glamour. I just submitted another manuscript. Find Karen on her website, Facebook, and Twitter Daughter of Magic Luskell has been dreaming about dead people. Her parents may be the two most powerful wizards in the country, but Luskell doesn’t have any magic of her own, so she’s stuck spending a summer with her grandmother in the small town of Deep River where her father is the hometown hero. Then the dead start to visit her dreams with mysterious messages. In a secret pact with her friends Jagryn and Laki, Luskell begins to teach herself magic and discovers an apparently bottomless well of untapped power. But before she has control over this ability, her dead grandfather appears with a dire warning. With no way to send word to her parents, Luskell and her friends mount a daring rescue. Can they get to the capital in time to save the country … and her parents’ lives? Where to Buy Daughter of Magic Jenny Sundstedt is the author of the supernatural mystery Passing Through; the prequel short story “When the Wolf Comes;” and co-author of Write Away: A Year of Musings and Motivations for Writers. She is a member of Northern Colorado Writers and serves on the creative team for the annual NCW conference. Jenny is currently at work on a speculative fiction trilogy. When she’s not writing, she can be found sneaking chocolate, enjoying Colorado with her family and dog, and waging war on the laundry pile. Hello everyone, and thanks for joining me on Amy’s blog today! I wish I could share with you the magical formula for writing success, but my journey is more of a cautionary tale. Not in a dramatic, I-can’t-believe-I-escaped-with-my-life way, but in a jeez-I-have-made-a-whole-lot-of-mistakes way. My lifelong blessing and curse is that I have the kind of brain that loves to make up stories. On some level, I always knew I wanted to be a writer. It just took me a hella long time to figure out how to go about it. A peek inside the way-back machine reveals that I was a shy child with an extra helping of timidity on the side. Forget wallflower; I was more like the wallpaper. Speaking to anyone outside my immediate circle of family and friends was torture—heart-pounding, face-flushing, voice-squeaking torture. As a result, I stayed pretty quiet, which gave me ample opportunity for watching and listening. I loved to read, and as I grew older, I discovered that writing words down was a whole lot more fun than saying them out loud. Fast forward to my late-twenties. I had a job I didn’t care much about and an anthropology degree I wasn’t using. It seemed like the perfect time to “be” a writer. I had plenty of ideas, so I did what I thought a writer should do: I sat down and (metaphorically) vomited out a novel. When my sister came home to visit at Christmas, I put it in front of her travel-weary eyes and waited for the praise. (Spoiler alert: it never came.) Undaunted, I pressed on and began sending out my uncritiqued, unedited hot mess to whoever was accepting unsolicited submissions. Ahem. For anyone who wonders… (raises megaphone to lips) Do. Not. Do. This. I was thrilled when I signed with an agent. It felt so validating, I didn’t care that she required money up front. (Red flag? What red flag?) When my emails to her resulted in terse, uninformative replies, I thought it was my fault for being a needy writer. Only when I saw her name show up on a list of worst agents did I start to get the message. I wasn’t an undiscovered genius. I was a sucker with a penchant for adverbs. Around the same time, I got pregnant with my first son. The second one came along two years later. Staying home raising two young boys was wonderful and fulfilling…and completely unproductive from a writing perspective. I occasionally had the time or the energy for it, but rarely both together. But my dream to write never died. In fact, it became more insistent. It sat quietly in the corner and give me that plaintive look. You know the one. I knew it would wait forever if it had to, but that didn’t seem quite fair to either of us. So, I started writing again. This time, it felt different, for I had realized a great truth: just because writing was easy for me didn’t mean I was good at it. Once it sank in—a humbling moment, to be sure—I began to understand what it really means to be a writer. I went to conferences and classes, I read books and blogs. I joined a critique group of wise women writers. I made my peace with killing my darlings, as the expression goes. I kept at learning the craft, and by the time my first novel was published, I knew I had something I could be proud of. Sure, it had the gestation period of a blue whale times ten, but it was out in the world. With my name on the front. I’m not a fast or prolific writer, but I’m still working at it. I’m still learning. And every time I sit down at the keyboard, I try to do it a little better than the time before. Passing Through Afterlife counselor Dana Parker enjoys her job helping the newly departed unload their emotional baggage and move on. But Dominic Micelli is no typical client. As brash and angry as he is handsome, he was the only suspect in his wife’s disappearance. He insists he’s innocent. Torn between suspicion and sympathy, Dana agrees to do what Dominic cannot and return to the living world to seek his truth. And finally face her own. Facebook: @JenSunWriter Twitter: @JennySundstedt Blog: Jensunwriter.com Where to Buy Passing Through Monica Yoknis writes Paranormal Thrillers based (loosely) on her own ghostly encounters, and family-friendly Cozy Mysteries. Monica is a member of Northern Colorado Writers, and serves on the Bunnyzine Development Team. Her current projects include: Ears O'Fluffin serial short stories, one novel, and the history column for The Carr Chatter newsletter. She lives in a cabin on the Colorado prairie, where she writes, crochets, reads mystery novels, and takes care of her rescue bunny. My most recent book is the result of fan requests. Our hero, Ears O'Fluffin, made his debut as a series of short mystery stories in the monthly free eMag, Bunnyzine. The magazine's editor put a request to the Development Team for a regular monthly feature. I thought back to some of my favorite authors, and remembered that Arthur Conan Doyle published the Sherlock Holmes short stories as magazine serials. The idea was well received, I just had to figure out how to make it rabbit-related. At the same time, I was watching old episodes of the TV show, Castle. One of my favorite episodes, The Blue Butterfly, features a typical trench coat wearing hard boiled PI. I flipped through a book of rabbit breeds, looking for the least likely tough guy detective, and found the Dwarf Hotot. Three pounds of white fluff and adorableness, I'd found my unlikely PI. Of course he has a tiny trench coat, a fedora hat, and a bottle of carrot juice in his desk drawer. Ears O’Fluffin is a Pet Private Investigator. His office is a cardboard box in his human’s living room, complete with a desk, a chair, and a coat rack. Other pets come to him to solve the mysteries in their lives, while Ears tries to maintain his tough guy persona. After about six months of serial shorts, I had run out of ideas for cases. I asked the Bunnyzine fans for mysteries that Ears should solve. I got several good ones, including an idea that deserved more than the short serial could provide. I put the idea of an Ears O’Fluffin novel to the fans, and got overwhelming positive feedback. The Adventure of the Scarlet Bird is Ears’ most difficult case, to date. The boredom of a Pet Expo is broken by a plea for help from a glamorous white cat. A precious gem is stolen right under Ears’ nose dragging him into the seedy world of jewel thieves. To top it all off, Ears is subjected to the sarcasm of a British hamster tasked with finding another stolen gem. A room full of suspects, a hostile local police detective, and only two days to solve the case. Can Ears recover the gem and preserve his reputation as the country's most successful Pet PI? Without my rescue bunny, Peaches, I would not have been pulled into the wonderful world of house rabbits. To give back to that community, and to help other rescued rabbits find their forever homes, I have set up a fundraiser for the Colorado House Rabbit Society. For every signed copy of The Adventure of the Scarlet Bird ordered from me, I will donate $1 to the CHRS. More information and purchase links can be found on my website at www.monicayoknis.com/earsofluffin. The Adventure of the Scarlet Bird Follow the adventure of a dwarf rabbit detective as he solves a perplexing theft. Appropriate for anyone ages 10 and up. A boring weekend at a pet expo takes a dramatic turn for the mysterious when a bird made of rubies is stolen right out from under Ears’ nose. With his reputation as the country’s greatest Pet P.I. at stake, Ears finds himself facing his most difficult case. Is his client really a victim, or is she trying to frame Ears for the theft? Can Ears find the jewel and apprehend the real thief before the expo closes? Can he avoid being detained by the local police? And can he work with a sarcastic British hamster? Find Monica on Facebook, Twitter and her website! Where to Buy the Adventure of the Scarlet Bird Tinthia lives on the Concord River with her black Lab, black cat, and assorted wildlife including a flock of Mallard ducks. When she’s not writing, she’s gardening, painting, eating ice cream, casting spells, and teaching. If asked about her favorite books, she'll tell you at the top of the list is Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury, followed by The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett, and The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame. She enjoys writing romantic women's fiction, although she would like to try her hand at a murder mystery someday. Why? Well, let's just say she has a score to settle with a certain gentleman from a certain dating website. Would like to know more about Tinthia? Find her on Facebook, Twitter, and at www.tinthiaclemant.com. Ask her anything, she’s an open book. Hi, I’m Tinthia Clemant, a 69-year-old earth witch with a passion for telling stories. My books fall into the women’s fiction genre and center on strong-willed (although they might not know it at the beginning of the book) female leads. As Clarissa Pinkola Estés wrote in Women Who Run with the Wolves, “Go out in the woods, go out. If you don't go out in the woods nothing will ever happen and your life will never begin.” Thanks to me, my characters spend a lot of time in the woods where they stumble and fall, wish and hope, and ultimately learn to face the hidden truths about themselves. Woven throughout all my stories are golden strands of romance, because, after all, life’s no fun without muscular arms, warm skin, and deep kisses. My heroines deserve no less. My writing journey started back when Marilyn Monroe took her last breath, the Cuban Missile Crisis was on every adult’s mind, and the Beatles released Love Me Do. The year was 1962 and, at the age of seven, I wrote an enchanting tale about a monkey named Harry and a beautiful peacock named Claire. My mother was the driving force behind my writing, acting as my cheerleader, critic, editor, and sole audience. I stopped writing after her death in 1982, convinced no one would ever want to read my stories, and jumped into the rat race called adult life. Fast forward ten years and the birth of my son. While he took naps I wrote…and wrote and wrote. As Hemingway is quoted as saying, ‘The first draft of anything is shit.’ Boy, was he ever right. By the end of the year I had a completed novel. And it sucked! I stored the pages in the attic and stopped pretending that I could write. Somewhere around my 59th birthday I read the following quote: ‘Don’t die with your stories inside of you.’ The words worked their magic and I pulled myself up by my big girl thong and opened the dam. The words flowed. I published my first book, The Summer of Annah: A Midsummer’s Wish on June 21, 2016 and I haven’t looked back since. I’m often asked what advice I would give wannabe authors. Here goes: Have fun. As writers, we get to craft worlds where our readers will play, laugh, cry, fight, hide, shake with fear, and fall in love. What’s better than that? So have fun and write, damn it, write! A Labor of Love Be careful what you ask of your goddess; you might get your wish. Annah-Belle Henderson didn’t intend to erase her memories. All she wanted was to forget the attack on her life. That, and the painful secret left behind by her parents. But a witch should know not to interfere with the plans of the Universe. After surviving an attack on her life, Annah-Belle Henderson wanted nothing more than to return to her family, friends, and the arms of her new love, Eric Ashworth. Instead of finding peace, a dark truth from her past shatters the foundation on which she built her life and she finds herself tossed into a world of strangers. Whom can she trust? The brash blonde? The teenager? Or the handsome man claiming to be her lover? In the long anticipated sequel to A Midsummer's Wish, A Labor of Love continues the journey of Annah-Belle Henderson, a woman determined to reclaim herself and find a way back to the people, and life, she once loved. Would like to know more about Tinthia? Find her on Facebook, Twitter, and at www.tinthiaclemant.com. Where to Buy A Labor of Love Elspeth was born in London, raised in the South East countryside, but returned to the capital to complete a bachelor's degree in Philosophy at University College London. After suffering a period of illness in her teenage years, she chose to move in to medicine, gaining a 1st Class Honours from King's College London in 2012. She's moved up the country, working in Oxford, Sheffield, and finally settling with her fiancé near Leeds. She has worked in general medicine, general surgery, General Practice, inpatient psychiatry, obstetrics, trauma and pathology. In her spare time, Elspeth loves dog walking, saving up to buy Champagne and helping out her local Yorkshire farmer. ‘You’ll never get a book published unless you write one’
If I’ve done something wrong, I apologise. The first line of a novel is key; it should contain intrigue and introduce conflict (‘if?’ ‘something wrong?’). The first line of mine is a Bowie look-a-like singing, ‘Ground control to sexy blonde,’ but I’m not writing books about antlers bobbing like periscopes in velveteen mists, so maybe that’s okay. I don’t know yet; I’m forty-five thousand words into my women’s fiction book, my first crack of the whip. This makes me a writer, not an author, an amateur alone in my blue kitchen, tapping at a purple Hewlett Packard. A profoundly cheap, plastic-y laptop, the lowest of the low, but when my life spectacularly imploded three years ago, I lost close to everything. I almost lost my life; a miss may be as good as a mile but, some days, when the teetering edge I was pushed too crashes back like a black dog through undergrowth, it doesn’t feel that way. Writing a book has always been something I said I would do. Likewise, a tattoo. Eighteen months ago, a friend looked me square in the eye, tired of my wittering, and said, ‘You’ll never get a book published unless you write one.’ Clarity dawned, she was right, but from that moment a mill stone was hung firmly around my neck; my dream would remain a dream unless I made it happen. A year ago, I put pen to paper, unselfconsciously hammering away. I’m a thirty-three-year-old doctor. No shadow of my past hints at creative writing, bar boxes of diaries and poems that I burned like a pyre when my troubles started, wishing my teenage memories could also char and float, feather light, into the dewy Autumn mist. Nine months ago, after two years off, I got back to part-time work in end of life care. As a present to myself, I signed up for a six-week online writing course with ‘Curtis Brown Creative’, a London literary agent. A top one. The kind that won’t publish my shoddily written book in a million trillion years. And I learnt so much, I cried. I cried because I’d started my novel without following the rules. My first line was just a line, my first chapter didn’t hook a reader in with sinking talons, I’d used people’s names in my dialogue… Sins that would get any completed manuscript pushed from the ‘slush pile’ before anyone flicked to page two. Some people will read this and think, ‘writing is art, it isn’t about rules?!’, and sometimes that is true. But, rules matter to me because not only do I love writing, like an addiction, but I want to earn some living from it and commercial fiction does follow rules, for most of us. Medicine is a profoundly privileged job, but my heart and mind struggle to take it. I’m not after something lavish, I’m happy with a small life, but working in my jeans and walking my dog would be balm to my healing soul. My new twitter clan of writers (and authors) confirm and compound the crippling self-doubt, the writer’s block and terrifying uncertainty, the hard work travelling and promoting books, but I still think it would be easier for my heart-strings than telling a man my age that his fiancé is dying. Through two of these online courses and hopping on board a writing community on twitter (I’d never used it before, see #amwriting or #ShareYourRejections) I now see links for writing competitions, short stories, flash fiction, this blog. It’s been a way to find a ‘beta’ reader (someone sympathetic, who isn’t your mum, who you swap work with and critique each other’s). I’ve found a free mentoring organisation for women writers and applied (WoMentoring). Their posts keep me motivated, we all share the same doubt. Posts from authors, and following their lives, gives me a goal. My literary hero, Marian Keyes, is a joy and tweets ten times per day; having a cuppa with her would make my hair stand on end with excitement. She, like me, reached her early thirties after a time she might describe as, ‘as rough as a badger’s arse’, and started her hilarious, eccentric, wildly successful women’s fiction. I aspire to follow, which may seem overblown, presumptuous, but in a setting where you have literally no idea if anyone will remotely want your book, until you’ve written and edited the Entire thing, you have, have, have to keep the dream alive. Looking out from here, over the second half of my book, the only plan I have to hand is a crisis around 75% (in another twenty thousand words). Before that, my main character (MC) will be questioning her life with her bully fiancé, comparing it to her feelings for her mature psychotherapist, then the crisis will unfold. The final 25% of the book will be her resolution. Previously, I thought this constituted the writing of a book. Now I understand it will be the completion of a ‘first draft’, possibly one of three or four, and when I’m finally happy with it, I’ll form a watertight synopsis, work on my ‘pitch line’ and begin the submissions process. Then I’ll let the world decide, while I carry on with book two; 1930’s rom-com? End of life based tragic love story? The word is my oyster. Follow Elspeth on Twitter |
AuthorI'm generally pulled in a million different directions and I wouldn't trade it for the world. Here's a glimpse of my life - hope you enjoy it! And if there's a big lapse between posts, well, that's the way life goes in Amy's world. Be My Guest!#WhatsYourStory? Are you an author? I'd love to hear your story and so would my readers. Email me for more information.
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