Who’s That Indie Author? Kit Falbo

Author name: Kit Falbo

Genre: Science Fiction – Fantasy

Books: The Crafting of Chess, Intelligence Block

What’s your story and how did you become a writer? Books were my best friends during the entirety of my teenage years. They presented my first mental experiences of many ideas and concepts more than shows or television. How could I not want to write? It just takes a long time and a lot of thinking to get decent. I took college classes, read hundreds of books, dedicated hours and hours. Still, I had to be almost forty before I completed one.  Hard work and practice, how you master anything.

My youth consisted of studying people when I was not hiding in books. I’m autistic, though that wasn’t a thing at the time. To most I was just weird. A valuable tool, studying people, for writers. Then I continued that in college by getting a degree in psychology. I graduated and spent a hellish near decade in Texas, having stumbled out the gate during the post 9/11 recession. A rocky journey back to Oregon, two kids, trials and tribulations of life, and now I finally have books out. I’m currently juggling life and writing in the hopes of getting more works of fiction out for my small group of fans.

How do you balance your work with other demands? Poorly. I find myself sometimes being imperfect at everything, including writing, in order to get everything done. This makes me more of a generalist where people are dissatisfied with any aspect of my work, rather than an expert who gets things done with laser focus. I juggle kids, writing, housework, relationships, bills, etc. Often literally juggling, instead of balancing. Sometimes I drop things and break a few eggs.

Name one of the happiest moments in your life: Marrying my wife. Now I’m contractually obligated to not be alone. (kidding). Still going strong.

What’s your approach to writing? Are you a “pantser” or a planner? I’m a pantser with plans, and my pantsing changes my plans.  I can, and often go without a plan until I have one form. Then once I have one form, it can change if an odd line becomes a major plot thread.

Could you write in a café with people around? Certainly easier than trying to write at home with kids around and something like Super Monsters on in the background. Some noise you can filter out. Others drills into your soul and destroys your brain cells.

Have you ever written dialogue in a second language? If so, how did you do it? Fictional languages yes. Real languages no. When I’m in control of all the rules, I have as many cheats as I want. One of the things I love about fiction.

What’s your favorite book and what are you reading now? I don’t have a favorite book. I have many favorite books. No one is king. Diana Wynne Jones, maybe as the author of my youth. As for what I’m reading right now, I haven’t quite decided yet. I’m between books.

What’s your favorite way to read a book: hardcover, paperback, eReader? I have an ancient paperwhite e-reader that has been known to die and work again on and off at times. Just not as much of a fan of the new ones. I do enjoy a book paper book though.

Do you think print books will always be around? Yes. There was a big debate, but it is clearly settled. As long as there is reading, print books will be around. I just want more people to read. Sure, my books included, just in general as well.

Would you ever read a book on your phone? Web novels generally. Things on Royal Road that appear every week or so. A whole book, not as much. Though by reading web novels, I know I’ve read more than most novel lengths of works on my phone.

What’s your go-to device? iPhone, Android or something else? Whichever one my wife buys me. Since I’m cost concerned, usually Android. I hardly see a point in paying for the Apple brand, unless they want to sponsor me.  I will take sponsorships, they are not beneath me. Product placements even if they pay is right.

How long could you go without checking your phone? Too many responsibilities to go too long without checking. Back before I had kids I could go a day or two. Now, every hour I should check. Just in case I’m needed for an emergency.

Do you listen to audiobooks? If you do, what do you do while you’re listening? I actually don’t. I feel that puts me at a disadvantage with the audiobook aspect of my books. I am working on trying to get audiobook versions out. If I could do it myself I would, but no one wants to hear me speak for hours on end, let alone myself. One day they will be out.

Do you like using social media to promote yourself and your book? If so, what’s your favorite platform? My favorite one is doing guest posts for blogs. I like to educate and inform. It is probably my least productive part of social media due to the fact that I doubt I get many new readers that way. It is still my favorite. I feel more productive doing an article on crafting believable characters or trauma in writing vs. tweeting out.

Website and social media links:  www.kitfalbo.com (mailing list actually doesn’t work, I need to go in and fix stuff but don’t have time)

Twitter: @WritesKit
Facebook: Kit Falbo, Author
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/KitFalbo

Awards/special recognition: https://www.levelup.pub/bestlitrpg  (#6)

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Are you an indie author?  Do you want to build your indie author network? Get your name out on Who’s That Indie Author!

Email bvitelli2009@gmail.com for a bio template and other details.

Who’s That Indie Author and Author Updates – that could be you in the spotlight!

Image: Pixabay

Are you a self-published or indie author looking for a way to tell the world about your books? Who’s That Indie Author is a great way to introduce yourself to readers. It’s also an opportunity to connect with bloggers and expand your network through connections on WordPress, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn and many other social media and business platforms.

And, it’s free! So why not take advantage of a chance to show your talents? Submit an author profile and see your name travel from blog to blog and tweet to tweet!

Check out this recent Who’s That Indie Author:

Who’s That Indie Author? Jennifer S. Alderson

Email Book Club Mom at bvitelli2009@gmail.com to request an author profile template. Who’s That Indie Author is open to all self-published and indie authors.

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And if you’ve already appeared on Who’s That Indie Author, but would like to share news about your latest book or project, consider submitting an update. Are you researching a new book? Have you won an award or a writing contest? Did you just update your website? Maybe you just want to tell readers about an experience you’ve had. BC Mom’s Author Update is a great way to share news and information about you and your books.

What’s it all about? Check out this recent BC Mom’s Author Update:

BC Mom’s Author Update: JD Estrada and J.P. McLean

Email Book Club Mom at bvitelli2009@gmail.com for more information. BC Mom’s Author Update is open to all authors – self-published, indie, big-time and anything in between.

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Who’s That Indie Author & BC Mom’s Author Update – 2 great ways to spread the word!

Thanks for visiting – come back soon!

Who’s That Indie Author? Amy Tasukada

Genre:  Gay romance and thrillers

Books:
The Yakuza Path Series:
Blood Stained Tea
Better Than Suicide
One Thousand Cranes
The Deafening Silence

Would it Be Okay to Love You? Series and Book 1
Year One Book 2
Happy Merry Christmas Book 3
Year Two Book 4
Year Three Book 5

What’s your story and how did you become a writer?  I was an only child so would make up stories while I played with my toy horses. Soon I wrote those down. Eventually, I found I enjoyed writing Japanese inspired gay fiction most. I write everything gritty mafia thrillers to fluffy, contemporary romance. I enjoy weaving exciting tales of suspense, love, and gore.

How do you balance your work with other demands?  I try to stay really organized and break everything into smaller task so it doesn’t feel too overwhelming. I also get up two hours before work to get the writing done before anything else.

Name one of the happiest moments in your life:  There was a tea house in my home town that I would go to almost weekly. All my friends would go and we’d get dressed up and drink proper British style tea.

What’s your approach to writing? Are you a “pantser” or a planner?  I am a huge planner. My last outline was over 18,000 words. I even have someone read over my outline and make comments to edit. I want everything already figured out when I start the rough draft.

Could you write in a café with people around?  More often people distract me when I’m at a café, but there’s a really good Korean café nearby. Their booths are built into the wall. So it feels like you’re in a cave. I can write there just fine.

Have you ever written dialogue in a second language? If so, how did you do it?  Though all of my books take place in Japan and with Japanese characters I do not write any extensive dialogue in Japanese.

What’s your favorite book and what are you reading now?  My favorite book is In Search of Lost Time by Marcel Proust. It’s an epic French classic and I love the descriptions.  I recently finished Go by Kazuki Kaneshiro. It’s about a second generation Korean coming of age in Japan.

What’s your favorite way to read a book: hardcover, paperback, eReader?  I like eBooks because they are cheaper and I always feel like I read faster on them.

Do you think print books will always be around?  Yes, there are some people who enjoy holding a book.

Would you ever read a book on your phone?  I do this as a last resort like when I’m standing in line at the Post Office and it’s taking a long time.

What’s your go-to device? iPhone, Android or something else?  Does my desktop computer count? Give me a computer over a tablet or phone any day. I want a keyboard and mouse!

How long could you go without checking your phone?  During the weekend I never look at it. During the week I’ll poke around it.

Do you listen to audiobooks? If you do, what do you do while you’re listening?  I recently got into non-fiction audiobooks. I do about half an hour of stretching in the morning since I’ve herniated two discs in my spine about a year ago. It’s a nice way to get those non-fictions books I’ve wanted to read out of the way.

Do you like using social media to promote yourself and your book? If so, what’s your favorite platform? I spend a lot of time on YouTube, but probably do a bad job promoting my books there. I’m fond of Facebook, too.

Website and social media links:
Website – https://www.amytasukada.com/
YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/user/amytasukada
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/amytasukadaofficial/
Twitter: @amytasukada

Awards/special recognition:  My first two thriller novels won an honorable mention at the Rainbow Awards for thrillers.

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Are you an indie author?  Do you want to build your indie author network? Get your name out on Who’s That Indie Author!

Email bvitelli2009@gmail.com for a bio template and other details.

Book Club Mom’s August recap – books, movies, authors and a mish-mash!

I’m not an organized blogger. Therefore I never know how a blog month is going to go. That’s how I like it. This month, I read Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray. At over 800 pages, it took a lot of time and concentration to read and I had very few blogging ideas during that time. So I focused on the book and stayed away from the blog. Once I finished, I felt refreshed and then came the ideas!

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I read three books in August:

Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes

Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray

Notes from a Public Typewriter – edited by Michael Gustafson and Obooksliver Uberti

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I shared some football books:

Books for football fans, and anyone who likes a good story

What’s That Book? Football for a Buck by Jeff Pearlman

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And I watched two movies! That’s unusual for me, but I’ve been in that mode lately. I’m also working my way through The Office and have finally reached the episodes I’d never seen.

What’s That Movie? Free Solo –
a film by Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin

The movie Charly and Flowers for Algernon

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Indie Authors Wendy Koenig & Biff Mitchell

Have you met these indie authors yet? Be sure to check out their profiles!

Who’s That Indie Author? Wendy L. Koenig

Who’s That Indie Author? Biff Mitchell

If you are a self-published or indie author and would like to be featured, email me at bvitelli2009@gmail.com for more information.

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And while you’re at it, get up to date with romance writer Jill Weatherholt because she has a new book out – A Mother for His Twins!

BC Mom’s Author Update: new Harlequin Love Inspired novel
by Jill Weatherholt

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Random and spontaneous book posts are lots of fun – that’s one reason I like blogging so much. It’s great to have full control over what I do. Sometimes I’ll get an idea while I’m brushing my teeth, taking a walk or talking to someone at my library job. Then it’s just a matter of typing it out:

 Book Talk – The Last Days of Night by Graham Moore

Grammar check – three word mistakes – let’s admit we aren’t perfect!

Creative book cover posts – have you noticed this trend?

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I hope you had a good August! Did you read anything good? What was the best part of your month?

Thanks for visiting – come back soon!

Who’s That Indie Author? Wendy L. Koenig

Author name:  Wendy L. Koenig

Genre:  Science Fiction, Young Adult Children’s, Fantasy Romance, Mystery

Books:  Sentient, Insurrection, One to Lose, The Last Griffin, Birthright, Boo and Oscar in the Fantastic Fudge Fiasco, Boo and Oscar in the Terrible Trouble on the Tobique, Frozen Fire, Under Twin Suns

What’s your story and how did you become a writer?  I was born in Colorado, but raised on a small homestead in Illinois. I served in the USAF right out of high school. After my stint in the military was finished, I returned home and had a horse stable. My first piece to be printed was a short children’s fiction, “Jet’s Stormy Adventure,” serialized in The Illinois Horse Network. It was a natural fit, given my business. Later, I attended University of Iowa’s famed workshops and writing programs. Since that time, I have authored and co-authored numerous books. Several of my novels and short stories have won international awards and have appeared in multiple venues. I write because I want to read the story.

How do you balance your work with other demands?  I’m stubborn.

Name one of the happiest moments in your life:  Seeing a fan show his friends my signature on his book

What’s your approach to writing? Are you a “pantser” or a planner?  Pantser until the main skeleton is written, then a planner for the subplots.

Could you write in a café with people around?  Often do.

Have you ever written dialogue in a second language? If so, how did you do it?  I don’t. My husband is French Canadian. He translated my two French children’s books.

What’s your favorite book and what are you reading now?  Favorite book of all time is Dreamsnake by Vonda McIntyre. Reading a Jack Reacher now.

What’s your favorite way to read a book: hardcover, paperback, eReader?  Hardcover

Do you think print books will always be around?  Absolutely. It’s a comfort thing. You just don’t get that from an eBook.

Would you ever read a book on your phone?  I have.

What’s your go-to device? iPhone, Android or something else?  Android

How long could you go without checking your phone?  I actually don’t text much, so probably a while.

Do you listen to audiobooks? If you do, what do you do while you’re listening?  I listen while I drive.

Do you like using social media to promote yourself and your book? If so, what’s your favorite platform?  Facebook and Instagram.

Website and social media links:
Website:  wendylkoenig.com
Facebook:  @WendyLKoenig
Twitter:  @wlkoenig
Pinterest: pinterest.ca/wlkoenig

Awards/special recognition: Under Twin Suns – 2^nd place Novel Abilene Writer’s guild International Competition 2005, 2^nd Honorable Mention Novel Chapter CNW/FFWA International Writing Competition 2005

Searching for Sardan – 1^st place Short fiction Abilene writers’ guild International Competition 2005

Sentient (Spinning the Tides) – 2^nd Honorable Mention Sci-Fi/Horror Frontiers in Writing International Competition 2007

“I Will Remember You” (poem) – America’s Best Emerging Poets 2018

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Are you an indie author?  Do you want to build your indie author network? Get your name out on Who’s That Indie Author!

Email bvitelli2009@gmail.com for a bio template and other details.

Who’s That Indie Author? Biff Mitchell

Author name:  Biff Mitchell

Genre:  Speculative Fiction

Books:  Fiction: Heavy Load (a laundromance), Team Player, The War Bug, Boston Jonson in Murder by Burger, Boston Jonson in Murder by Art, Boston Jonson in Murder by Coffee, The Reality Wars, The Weekly Man

Non-fiction: eMarketing Tools for Writers, Writing Hurts Like Hell: How to Write a Novel When You Don’t Have Time to Write a Short Story.

What’s your story and how did you become a writer?  I’m a writer and a photographer. Writing is my obsession. Photography is my passion. If I don’t write, I go crazy, whether or not the writing is driving me crazy. This is why I call my writing workshop Writing Hurts Like Hell.

How do you balance your work with other demands?  I schedule my writing just as though it’s work that I have to do, or I’ll be fired. It means sitting in front of a laptop when my friends are all out partying and it means saying no to people who think that writing is just a hobby when you have a fulltime job doing something else.

Name one of the happiest moments in your life:  As a parent, I’d have to say the moment my daughter was born; as a writer I’d have to say the day my first novel was accepted for publication by Jacobyte Books in Australia.

What’s your approach to writing? Are you a “pantser” or a planner?  I start off with a story dump…a hardback notebook that I can carry everywhere. I jot down the idea and then, over a period of several months, I develop the idea until I’m ready to build a story board from the first to the last scene. Generally, about 40 or 50 pages in, the characters take over the story and the story board goes out the window. I do it anyway because the story board structures my writing so that, even when the characters take over, I have a good idea where the story is going.

Could you write in a café with people around?  Since my first novel, every one of my novels has been written in a coffee shop. There’s something about the hustle and bustle of a coffee shop that inspires me to get the work done.

Have you ever written dialogue in a second language? If so, how did you do it?  Nope.

What’s your favorite book and what are you reading now?  My favorite book is In Watermelon Sugar by Richard Brautigan. It’s a hippie novel, so I’ll leave it at that.  I’m currently reading a Tim Dorsey novel on my Kindle and a Carl Hiaasen novel in print format. I read print books an hour or so before bed because the blue light from screens suppresses melatonin production and inhibits sleep.

What’s your favorite way to read a book: hardcover, paperback, eReader?  Paperback and eReader, with my Kindle being the preferred between the two. I like the portability of paperbacks and eReaders over hardcover books because I’m on the move a lot. However, if I want to read something and it’s available only in hardcover format, I’ll get the hardcover. No matter what the format, it’s the content that matters.

Do you think print books will always be around?  Dynamics such as quick access, production and distribution costs and availability of materials will eventually drive print books out of production, especially as new technologies take literature into new directions (such as books that allow reader participation in the story.) I’m not sure how this will eventually play but, but I’m guessing it will happen as books and video games are merged into a single medium.

Would you ever read a book on your phone?  No, but I’m working on three short stories on my iPhone. I work on them when I’m sitting in waiting rooms or otherwise have a few spare moments.

What’s your go-to device? iPhone, Android or something else?  I use my iPhone for writing and photography…maybe not as much as I should, but I’m learning.

How long could you go without checking your phone?  I only pay attention to it when I need it or someone calls me. I call myself a lot and leave messages for ideas on my home phone. I never take my phone with me when I travel.

Do you listen to audiobooks? If you do, what do you do while you’re listening?  Never. Well…once. I almost drove into a police car. When I get into a good story, it gets all my concentration.

Do you like using social media to promote yourself and your book? If so, what’s your favorite platform?  Starting September 8, I’m going to serialize a novel (The Weekly Man) as a daily coffee break novel for two and a half months. I’m well into a social media campaign to promote it. I just set up a Pinterest business account for it because I think this particular novel will attract more female readers than male. I’ve used Facebook in the past, but I’ve never been impressed with the results.

Website and social media links:
Website and photography: biffmitchell.com
Facebook writer’s page: @BiffMitchellWriter
Weekly Man blog: theweeklyman.com
Weekly Man Facebook page: The Weekly Man – a free serialized novel
Personal blog: biffmitchell.wordpress.com

Awards/special recognition:  New Brunswick Artist of the Week (NB Film Coop). I’ve had over a dozen short stories published in the award-winning Twisted Tails anthologies. Atlantic Canada Radio Awards (ACRA) first place award in PSA division.

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Are you an indie author?  Do you want to build your indie author network? Get your name out on Who’s That Indie Author!

Email bvitelli2009@gmail.com for a bio template and other details.

Who’s That Indie Author? Jennifer S. Alderson

Author name:  Jennifer S. Alderson

Genres:  Mystery / Thriller / Historical Fiction / Travel

Books:  Marked for Revenge, Rituals of the Dead, The Lover’s Portrait, Down and Out in Kathmandu, Holiday Gone Wrong, and Notes of a Naive Traveler

What’s your story and how did you become a writer?  Thanks for inviting me to your blog, Book Club Mom!

I am an American currently residing in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. My passion for travel, history, and art inspires my novels. I have been writing for as long as I can remember, but until my late twenties, it was all non-fiction for newspapers and magazines. After an incredible trip to Nepal, I wrote a fictionalized version of my adventures but didn’t know what to do with it. The sudden death of a close relative was the catalyst to get it published.

How do you balance your work with other demands?  Balancing my roles as writer, business owner, wife, and mother is an enormous challenge! My focus shifts weekly, depending on the current needs of my family and business. However, my writing time is well-guarded!

Name one of the happiest moments in your life:  Aside from meeting my husband or the birth of my child, I think it was receiving my Dutch passport. It has been a long and sometimes difficult transition into expat life, but I am so glad to be in the Netherlands. It feels like I’ve come home.

What’s your approach to writing? Are you a “pantser” or a planner?  Planner all the way. Without a concise outline, I am completely lost! However, once I start writing, I allow myself to listen to the story and follow the path it takes me on, even if that means deviating from the outline.

Could you write in a café with people around?  I love writing in busy cafes! Silence reminds me too much of my former corporate life. I write faster and better when surrounded by fairly loud music that turns surrounding conversations into white noise. Otherwise, I would be eavesdropping instead of writing. J

Have you ever written dialogue in a second language? If so, how did you do it?  I have included Dutch, German, and Italian phrases in my novels. Honestly, I am quite nervous about getting it wrong every time I do. One great advantage of living in such an international city is that I know native speakers who I could double check my translations with.

What’s your favorite book and what are you reading now?  There are so many great books to choose from! I am a huge fan of Donna Leon and just finished rereading By Its Cover. I admire her ability to bring Venice to life in each and every novel.

What’s your favorite way to read a book: hardcover, paperback, eReader?  I used to read exclusively paperbacks but in the last few years I have transitioned to eBooks. I read so many, it makes it a whole lot cheaper to stock up and take them with me!

Do you think print books will always be around?  I hope so. There is nothing more wonderful than holding a paperback in your hand. I do still buy paperbacks of my favorite reads, as well as give them as gifts.

Would you ever read a book on your phone?  I have not. I am not a fan of smart phones and try to use mine as little as possible.

What’s your go-to device? iPhone, android or something else?  I do read eBooks on my iPad and have reading apps installed for iBooks, Kindle, Bol, Kobo, and my local library.

How long could you go without checking your phone?  Days, possibly weeks! I am not good about checking messages or calling people back straight away. Since becoming an author, I check my email and social media much more often than I used to, but it is still a challenge to stay on top of all of the messages I receive!

Do you listen to audiobooks? If you do, what do you do while you’re listening?  I have recently discovered audiobooks and enjoy listening to them when working on marketing and social media.

Do you like using social media to promote yourself and your book? If so, what’s your favorite platform?  Connecting with readers is one of the most enjoyable things about this job! When you write a book, you have no idea if anyone will be able to relate to the characters, setting, or plot. Publishing a book really is a leap of faith. Chatting with readers who enjoy my work or share the same interests I do, really makes it fun. Facebook is my favorite platform, though I am also often on Twitter and Instagram.

Website and social media links:
Website:  jennifersalderson.com
Twitter: @JSAauthor
Facebook: @JenniferSAldersonauthor
Goodreads Author Page: Jennifer S. Alderson
Amazon Author Page: Jennifer S. Alderson

Awards/special recognition:  My novels have won several readers awards, including 5 star medals from Readers’ Favorite, Chill with a Book, and indieBRAG. They have also been included on several Recommended Reads lists on websites such as The Displaced Nation, TripFiction, and Women Writers, Women’s Books.

About the Author:  Jennifer S. Alderson was born in San Francisco, raised in Seattle, and currently lives in Amsterdam. After traveling extensively around Asia, Oceania, and Central America, she moved to Darwin, Australia, before finally settling in the Netherlands. Jennifer’s love of travel, art, and culture inspires her award-winning, internationally oriented mystery series—the Zelda Richardson Mystery Series—and standalone stories. Her background in journalism, multimedia development, and art history enriches her novels. When not writing, she can be found in a museum, biking around Amsterdam, or enjoying a coffee along the canal while planning her next research trip.

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Are you an indie author?  Do you want to build your indie author network? Get your name out on Who’s That Indie Author!

Email bvitelli2009@gmail.com for a bio template and other details.

Who’s That Indie Author? D. Wallace Peach

Author name:  D. Wallace Peach

Genre:  Fantasy/Science Fiction

Books:

The Shattered Sea duology – Soul Swallowers and Legacy of Souls; The Rose Shield series – Catling’s Bane, Oathbreakers’ Guild, Farlanders’ Law, and Kari’s Reckoning; The Dragon Soul Saga – Myths of the Mirror, Eye of Fire, Eye of Blind, and Eye of Sun; Stand-alones – The Sorcerer’s Garden, Sunwielder, The Bone Wall, The Melding of Aeris; Anthology – The Five Elements; Children’s Book – Grumpy Ana and the Grouchy Monsters

What’s your story and how did you become a writer?  Totally by accident!  I’d dabbled in writing for years but never considered it a real possibility. Then a temporary move for my husband’s work left me jobless with some rare free time to fill. The dear man suggested that I write a book. Well, the rest is history.

How do you balance your work with other demands?  Balance is one of those things I don’t negotiate well. It’s one reason I never considered writing while raising kids or working outside the home. Now, I’m attempting to balance aging parents and grandchildren, and it’s not easy to make time for the laptop. When things get busy, what do I let slide? Housework!

Name one of the happiest moments in your life:  That’s an easy one. The birth of my daughter. It was true love at first sight, and that’s never changed.

What’s your approach to writing? Are you a “pantser” or a planner?  I started writing as a pantser and loved following my characters on the most circuitous tangents. My first book was a 190,000-word masterpiece – a horrible one, needless to say. I had to cut 63,000 words to entice a publisher to even glance at it. After two torturous years of flaying my manuscript, I became an enthusiastic planner.

Could you write in a café with people around?  Maybe. I like the romantic writerly idea of it. But I live a long, long way from a café, so I haven’t had the chance to try it. I write in big chunks of time and might feel awkward capitalizing a cafe table for seven hours.

Have you ever written dialogue in a second language? If so, how did you do it?  For Sunwielder, I wrote dialog in a made-up language! That was super fun, but very limited since other characters had to translate and I didn’t want to bog down the prose. I made up words and structural rules and learned to speak it. I would definitely do it again if a book called for it.

What’s your favorite book and what are you reading now?  I love the book Anam Cara by John O’Donohue. My mom gave it to me years ago, and the beauty of the reflections spoke to me then and still do. Right now, I’m on an indie binge and just finished Survival of the Fittest by Jacqui Murray. Prehistoric fiction!

What’s your favorite way to read a book: hardcover, paperback, eReader?  I love paperback books, but switched to Kindle about 5 years ago. That far, far away café is next door to the far, far away bookstore. And honestly, when I finish a book, I want to start the next one that moment!  And ebooks are less costly so I can buy more of them!

Do you think print books will always be around?  Yes, they’re treasures. If I love a kindle book, I’ll buy the print version so I can hug it.

Would you ever read a book on your phone?  I have! Mostly when traveling, and it’s not as bad as I thought it would be.

What’s your go-to device? iPhone, Android or something else?  A giant laptop at home, and an old cracked iPhone on the road. I used to rely on an old cracked iPad, but it’s so slow now that I can’t bear it. (I tend to drop my electronics).

How long could you go without checking your phone?  Could I go? Months. I’m a hermit and can survive without human contact for decades. But that would be rude, so I check email once every couple of hours on my laptop.

Do you listen to audiobooks? If you do, what do you do while you’re listening?  I don’t, but I want to! I just have to figure out all the new-fangled technology and cough up the bucks for Audible. What would I do while listening? Drive, exercise, garden, housework, you name it.

Do you like using social media to promote yourself and your book? If so, what’s your favorite platform?  I love WordPress, and it’s my go-to platform. I cherish the community, the kindness, the laughter and tears, all the fun that I share with this talented bunch of people. The rest of social media I could take or leave and don’t make much time for. Blogging takes a lot of time away from writing, but it’s worth it to this old hermit.

Website and social media links:
Blog: mythsofthemirror.com
Website: dwallacepeachbooks.com
Twitter: @Dwallacepeach

Awards/special recognition:  Stay tuned.

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Are you an indie author?  Do you want to build your indie author network? Get your name out on Who’s That Indie Author!

Email bvitelli2009@gmail.com for a bio template and other details.

Thanks for visiting – come back soon!

Book Club Mom’s May recap – books, birthdays and a graduation

I don’t know what happened to May, but here we are at the finish. It’s a big month for birthdays in my family and we squeezed in a college graduation too! It’s always nice to settle into a comfy chair during the down times and relax with a book, a show or a puzzle.

I’ve become a bit crazy with a word game I have on my ancient Kindle called Every Word: Crossings, and I have been playing it obsessively. I never look at that as a waste of time, though. Things like that always help me sort out my day.

And I went a little overboard with my Barbie doll posts (see below), but it’s been fun (for me, at least!) sharing something that I loved as a girl.

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This month, I read and reviewed three regular books:

 

A Duty to the Dead by Charles Todd – if you like mystery series, this is the first of the Bess Crawford stories, set in England during World War I. I enjoyed both the characters and the historical setting. The author, Charles Todd, is actually a mother-son writing team.

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More and more, it seems, fiction books are being co-authored and this month I wrote a post about this very thing!

Author teams and pen names – if the story’s good, does it matter? Not to me!

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Lab Girl by Hope Jahren – in this memoir about becoming a female scientist, Jahren writes a compelling personal story about family, love, friendship, mental health and the difficulties of earning a living as a scientist. (Jahren made it big, after a long road, and has won many awards.)

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The Beneficiary – Fortune, Misfortune, and the Story of my Father by Janny Scott – a biography of Robert Montgomery Scott, written by his daughter. A tale of four generations of a wealthy Main Line, Pennsylvania family and their 800-acre estate and the complicated relationships among family members.

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As I mentioned above, I also started a series that celebrates books about the Barbie doll’s 60^th birthday. Here are the first two posts, indulging my obsession. I’ll share my final Barbie post next week.

Dressing Barbie: A Celebration of the Clothes That Made America’s Favorite Doll and the Incredible Woman Behind Them – Carol Spencer

Look what Barbie’s wearing! Barbie Fashion 1959-1967 by Sarah Sink Eames

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May was a busier indie author month. I introduced three hard-working writers:

Richard Doiron
Lucia N. Davis
Frank Prem

If you are an indie or self-published author and would like to be featured on Who’s That Indie Author, please email me at bvitelli2009@gmail.com. To shake things up, I’ve updated my interview with a new set of questions!

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Next week, we’re starting a Summer Reading program at the library where I work, so I’ll be signing up for that. I plan to work these two books onto my list:

June book previews: Lot – Stories by Bryan Washington and Miracle Creek by Angie Kim

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And last, I was sorry to see that American author Herman Wouk died on May 17, at age 103. I’ve enjoyed many of his books and think I will go back to some of them this summer. I had a fun time looking at these book covers – did you notice that the last two, The Winds of War and War and Remembrance, fit together to make a bigger picture?

Remembering American author Herman Wouk, 1915 – 2019

I hope you had a good month, out in the world and between the pages. I’m looking forward to a good summer!

Thanks for visiting – come back soon!

Who’s That Indie Author? Frank Prem

Author name:  Frank Prem

Genre:  Free Verse Poetry/Memoir

Books:  Devil In The Wind (2019); Small Town Kid (2018)

What’s your story and how did you become a writer?  I’ve been a prolific free verse poet for over 40 years now. Mainly keeping my work low key and developing skills and a kind of back catalogue of completed work. I’ve started to draw on that work now as I move in to presenting myself to the public in book form.

My professional career has been as a Psychiatric Nurse, which I’ve also been doing for 40 odd years, now. In that role, I have spanned the days of the old mental asylum, which I grew up with in my town, through student nursing for three years and a range of clinical experiences at different facilities around my state (Victoria, Australia). My current plan is to have a third memoir style collection of poems focusing on my experience of psychiatry in book form by the end of 2019, or early in 2020.

I started writing way back, when I was in high school. I discovered then that my teacher was so impressed that a student had attempted poetry that I was given credit even though my essay submission was a few hundred words short of requirements. I figured there was something very ‘right’ about that, and I’ve been a poet ever since.

How do you balance your work with other demands?  I’m not entirely sure that I do achieve balance in this respect. In my professional career I was always charging at my next objective as though NOW was the only possible moment in universal history to achieve it.

I am like that with my writing as well. I chase my fads with a singlemindedness that leaves other routine or mundane considerations behind.

It’s not necessarily a great trait to have and I need to constantly remind myself (or have others do it for me) to give attention to the other important things in my life that aren’t the passion of the moment.

Name one of the happiest moments in your life:  There are a few big moments across a life such as I’ve had, but the memory that comes to mind is from about 15 years ago. At the time I was courting a lady considerably younger than myself and had all the doubts that you might expect an old-ster (as I saw myself) having.

The memory is of the lady in question – a talented singer/songwriter – turning up to one of our earliest get togethers bearing a cassette tape, on which she had taped herself playing and singing a song that she’d created from one of my poems.

That was a very big moment.

What’s your approach to writing? Are you a “pantser” or a planner?  I am a ‘pantser,’ in every respect.

Why plan, when you can write? Why trouble to create a story arc and plot, when the next thing you write is the next thing in the sequence?

Creatively delightful, but tricky as I’ve had to transmogrify myself from simple writer into author, editor, publisher and self-publicist.

Very tricky.

Can or could you write in a café with people around?  Yes I can.

The likelihood is that the people in the café will become the subjects that I write about.

In all seriousness, I find I can tune out most distractions when I have something to write, and on occasion, at least, the atmosphere in a busy café is positively stimulating.

Have you ever written dialogue in a second language? If so, how did you do it?  I have indeed, and have even had the privilege of being published in another country (that being the USA) with a poem using that ‘voice.’

My family was originally from Croatia in what was then Yugoslavia. I grew up with the Croatian language all around me and for a period in my writing evolution I wrote in pidgin language that is half Australian English and half Croatian.

This may sound a little arty-odd, but when I’m writing I have made it my practice to allow the idea I’m pursuing or the image I am contemplating to find its own voice and tell its own story. My job is to steer it so that it remains coherent and meaningful for a reader. In the case of the Croatian voice, I had enough familiarity with the idiom and vernacular and with the way this particular migrant population was likely to think to be able to shape poems in a reasonably accurate representation.

Quite a task, and not always successful, but completely unique when it worked.

What’s your favorite book and what are you reading now?  For a favorite book, I draw on my ‘go to’ library here at home, which includes Tolkien, Le Guin, Robin Hobb, and Mathew Reilly, to name a few.

I’m currently re-reading a Mather Reilly book – Ice Station, but I’d probably have to nominate Tolkien and Lord of the Rings as my favorite because of the inspiration and pleasure they have given me over the journey.

What’s your favorite way to read a book: hardcover, paperback, eReader?  Paperback, for me. Hard cover is fine, too, but I really struggle with the electronic book forms. I think it may be because I sweat over the keyboard for as much as 12 hours a day, and the idea of reading for pleasure electronically just doesn’t feel right.

Do you think print books will always be around?  I’m a print book guy who is only now discovering electronic forms with any purpose, so I say yes.

If you ask me in a few years’ time, when I’m perhaps scratching a living out an e-book readership, I may give a different response.

Would you ever read a book on your phone?  Yes. I do that now, when I need to, and reluctantly. I don’t own an e-reader.

What’s your go-to device? iPhone, Android or something else?  I have an Android device. The first I have owned and I fell in love with its picture taking capacities long before I began using it as a phone.

I have begun to make something of an art out of writing to the image and letting the image communicate its own story without too much control from myself. The Android device has been quite material in allowing me to develop a new capacity within my writing skillset.

How long could you go without checking your phone?  I check it frequently. Not for the phone, but for the email and the social media that I might be working with. Looking for responses to my latest posting of a poem on my blog.

I’ve become a bit of a junkie in that respect.

Do you listen to audiobooks? If you do, what do you do while you’re listening?  I have listened to audio books when traveling. Usually something from The Great Course range of educational materials, rather than novels.

I am very interested in perhaps creating my own audio books in future and have done a number of amateur audio recordings and podcasts and radio interviews, all of which are accessible from my Author page on the web.

I enjoy reading to live audiences very much.

Do you like using social media to promote yourself and your book? If so, what’s your favorite platform?  The only reason I use Social media is to pursue connections regarding writing and publishing and promotion of my work. It is a critical element in the pursuit of free publicity and promotion of new works.

The tricky bit is how to make contact with an audience that isn’t myself in disguise i.e. another author, pursuing the same goals and objectives that I am (only maybe better and smarter than me).

What I enjoy most is contact with genuine readers who might be curious about what I’ve done, why and how and so on.

That, I enjoy very much.

Website and social media links:
Website: frankprem.com
Daily Poetry Blog: frankprem.wordpress.com
Facebook: FrankPrem11 and @frankprem2
Twitter: @frank_prem

Awards/special recognition:  No Awards for a number of years – I stopped seeking them a long time back. Book reviews at Goodreads are worth a look, though. Try these: Small Town Kid and Devil In The Wind.

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Are you an indie author?  Do you want to build your indie author network? Get your name out on Who’s That Indie Author!

Email bvitelli2009@gmail.com for a bio template and other details.

Thanks for visiting – come back soon!