Who’s That Indie Author? HL Carpenter

Author name:  HL Carpenter

Genre: We’re multi-genre authors. We write mysteries for adults, young adult and middle grade fantasy, coming of age, and mystery novels and novellas, space operas, and short stories. All of our books are family-friendly, with minimal offensive language and sweet romance.

Books:
Murder by the Books, mystery
Taxing Pecksniffery, space opera
The Ghost in The Gardens, middle grade mystery
“The Demise of Fyne Literature,” allegorical short story
Walled In, middle grade/young adult
A Cause for Murder, cozy mystery
Pirate Summer, middle grade/young adult fantasy
The SkyHorse, middle grade/young adult fantasy
Jack and The Fountain of Youth, middle grade/young adult fantasy
Dream Stealer, a middle grade/young adult fantasy

When did you begin your writing career? Long, long ago, in a galaxy far, far away. Or maybe just yesterday. We lose track of time when writing and each story is a fresh beginning.

What’s your approach to writing? Are you a “pantser” or a planner? As you can probably tell by the varied list of genres above, we resist being boxed in. We like the freedom provided by structure, and we also like freedom from structure. This is one of the true benefits of writing with a partner—we balance each other.

What’s your working style—morning or late-night writer? This depends on the flow of the story. When the words of the first draft are tumbling over each other, the writing session that begins in early morning can last until late night.

Do you work at a computer or write long-hand? The computer for intense sessions; long-hand for those times when random ideas strike.

What gets those words flowing, coffee or tea? Water, please, either plain or with a twist of lemon. And hot chocolate on cold days. With whipped cream. Lots of whipped cream! 🙂

Favorite book: [Loud discussion arises] We have to pick just one? [Hems and haws around for a few minutes] Okay, this question should not be so difficult. Let’s just tell the truth here—our favorite book is the one we are currently reading.

Favorite movie: The last movie we watched in the theatre was Mission Impossible #4,569. Probably not a fave, though we do like Tom Cruise’s acting. We did get a good chuckle out of the longest motorcycle chase in the history of movies.

Favorite musician: This can vary depending on the book. Handel’s Water Music plays a role in our cozy mystery, and we enjoyed listening to it while writing.

Links:
Website: hlcarpenter.com
Twitter: @hl_carpenter
Pinterest: HL Carpenter, Author

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

Introducing a new monthly feature, Book Club Mom’s Author Update. Open to all authors who want to share news with readers.

Today let’s hear from JD Estrada and J.P. McLean:

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Catching up with JD Estrada

There’s a lot that can happen in a couple of months, and when it comes to JD Estrada, that can include one or several books. After publishing his first two non-fiction books this year (For Writing Out Loud & Peace, Love, and Maki Rolls), he wanted to end the year on a whimsically high note with his first full length middle-grade fantasy, Given to Fly.

John Rivers is a kind and curious 11-year-old and he definitely has a knack for liking whimsical things that fly… so of course he would love to fly himself. After moving to the Pacific Northwest, he finds out that although the new house is very lovely, there’s nothing magical about it… and mainly because magic is nearby. After playing on a hill next to his house, he discovers a beautiful cove with a huge tree growing over it. Although we could talk in terms of feet to have an idea about how big it is, it’s easier to describe the house that’s sitting on its side on top of the tree. After seeing a shadow inside, John decides to investigate and make sure no one is trouble. There he discovers the magical world within the house known as Od Manor, with a true living room with walking furniture, a library pillaging book worm, and countless other wonders.

So if you’re tired of the bad news on TV, maybe it’s time to see if you’re also Given to Fly. For more about JD, visit his blog, For Writing Out Loud, at jdestradawriter.blogspot.com.

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J.P. McLean on Remaking a Brand

One of the best things about being an indie author is the flexibility to make changes to your books, whether it’s adding a pull quote from a fabulous review, tweaking the back-of-the-book description, or adding an overlooked thank-you to the acknowledgements.

One of the worst things about being an indie author is not having the broad-band publishing wisdom to help shape early decisions – decisions that pave your path going forward.

Early in my writing, I made a mistake that I didn’t recognize. The mistake was the titles I’d given The Gift Legacy books: Awakening, Revelation, Redemption, and Penance. In hindsight, they read like chapters for a religious studies course. And the beautiful covers only served to reinforce that concept.

With two new books in the series coming out in January 2019, I thought there would never be a better time to address this misstep. I made the plunge and rebranded the books with new titles and new covers. The new titles are Secret Sky, Hidden Enemy, Burning Lies, and Lethal Waters. The first of the newly branded books is out now. Digital editions of Secret Sky are available for a limited time for $0.99 (https://books2read.com/SecretSky).

This time, I’m sure I’m on the right track: Kobo has just selected Secret Sky as one of the ten best covers for 2018 in the Sci-Fi/Fantasy category. Voting for the winner will start in December on Kobo’s blog (https://kobowritinglife.com/). I welcome your feedback. Reach me through my website https://jpmcleanauthor.com.

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For information about Book Club Mom’s Author Update,
email bvitelli2009@gmail.com.

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Who’s That Indie Author? Deanna Altomara

Author name:  Deanna Altomara

Genre:  Middle Grade Fantasy/Science Fiction

Books: Ageless, Pi

     

Bio:  Fascinated by reading and writing from a young age, Deanna Altomara has dreamed of publishing her own novel since the fourth grade. She is the published author of two middle-grade fantasy novels, Ageless and Pi. While she is working on a sequel to Pi, she takes frequent breaks to try new foods, go hiking, and embroider.

Favorite thing about being a writer:  I love being able to create worlds and journey through them. I long to live all the lives I never got the chance to, and writing allows me to do that.

Biggest challenge as an indie author:  The most difficult thing about self-publishing is self-promotion. Besides being slightly awkward, it’s very time-consuming. It’s very hard to balance a steady stream of advertising and outreach with work and daily life.

Favorite books:  I honestly have to pick Harry Potter! Those books filled my life with new color and potential, and that’s something I want to replicate in my own work. I also love the Percy Jackson and Heroes of Olympus books, as well as a few classics like Gone With the Wind and Dracula.

Contact Information:
Twitter: @DeannaAltomara
Instagram @deannaaltomara
Facebook: Deanna Altomara @authordeannaaltomara
Goodreads Author Deanna Altomara
Website: deannaaltomara.biz.ly

Awards/special recognition:  Future Problem Solving International, Best On-site Writer Award;

Future Problem Solving International, 2nd Place Scenario; Ayn Rand Anthem Essay Finalist; Outdoor Writers of America, 2nd Place Poem

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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!