Book Review: Unforgiven: Sarah Ballance

Title: Unforgiven
Author: Sarah Ballance

Pages: 110

Synopsis: Riley Beckett's past just came back to haunt her . . . and this time, he's got a gun.
When Gage Lawton finds his brother shot dead on his back porch, every shred of evidence points to one person: Gage's former lover, Riley. He and she didn't part ways on good terms, and he's not planning to rekindle anything now--not when he's got a revolver pointed at her head and a finger on the trigger.

A year after Riley swore she and Gage were over, he returns in a hail of gunfire. One look into those achingly familiar blue eyes and she knows how wrong she was to let him go, but now far more than their heated past stands in the way. A twist of fate puts them in the cross hairs of a killer, leaving Riley with two slim options:  trust her greatest betrayer or face a murderer on her own.


Review:     

Unforgiven will definitely be an unforgotten book in my library. I loved it. It is packed with heart pounding action that leaves the reader wanting more. Riley and Gage take the reader on a heat filled journey that will leave the reading turning the pages to find out what's going to happen. The plot flows and the characters are flawless. During the entire read, Unforgiven had me guessing at what would happen and I eventually found out Sarah put in a twist I didn't see. I would say this book belongs on everyone's Reading Challenge this.

***Announcement for All***

Due to Google ridding the Google Friend Connect, I am following in with taking it off my blog as well to make less confusion. I'm asking for everyone who follows through GFC to please follow us using the Linky Followers on the right side of the page. Also, I'm trying to build up our Facebook page so we can do some interesting things there as well. Therefore, please head on over there and check it out.

Remember you can always subscribe by email to keep updated on new book reviews, Author interviews, writing tips, and Author Spotlights.

Thank you to who all switch. I appreciate it.

Author Interview- Michael Lorde

I'm happy to announce this weeks author interview is with Michael Lorde. Glad to have you stop by here at The Writing World. 

1. Please tell the readers a bit more about you.

I was born and raised in a rural town in upstate New York. When people hear I’m from NY, they think of a Bronx accent and NY city; but New York is a large state and I’d never been to the city until a year ago. I was raised in farm country, and no one in upstate New York speaks with a New York City accent.

A little about your self `ie your education Family life etc.

I’m a prior law enforcement officer and detective. I have four children, three who are now adults and I’m a single parent to my 10 year old daughter. I’ve been employed in other fields as well- marketing, management, and I’ve also worked as an admissions director at a college. Writing is my first choice, though, and now that my older children are adults I can finally pursue it. As far as me personally, I’m a firm believer in giving back and paying it forward. The greatest thing about people is their humanity and I really love people.

2. What types of books do you write?

I write psychological Thrillers, Science Fiction and fantasy.  I crave thrilling stories so I'm most happy when writing in these genres.

3. Who's your main audience?

I’d have to say that it really depends on the book.  Blind Veil is for readers who enjoy a harsher read, and by that I mean on that’s not a soft romance.  If you enjoy oddities, strange occurrences and like to be scared and thrilled, then you’ll like Blind Veil.  I’m working on the second Blind Veil book and it’s due to be released before Christmas.   The second series is a fantasy series and that’s geared more toward readers who want a softer read, though it is also thwart with excitement and adventure.  That book would be  YA book, except for one very needed chapter, so it’s also for an adult audience, but yet, not as scary, for the most part anyway.  I also have a children’s book that will be out in a couple of months.  That’s an anti-bullying book for elementary school kids.  I’m hoping that the books lesson will stick in the kid's heads, before they reach the major bullying years during middle school and high school.

4. When it comes to writing- what are your strong points? What are your weaknesses?

I’m really self critical, so I’ll do my best to answer this.  I think my strength is to keep the reader’s attention, at least I hope it is.  I, myself, like to read books that keep a carrot dangling overhead, so hopefully my writing style has that affect on my readers.  I know my weakness.  Edits.  I can’t stand them

5. What do you think of this term- Writer's Block? How do you overcome it?

Hopefully I will never have to answer that question.  Blind Veil is my debut book.  The words usually come to me pretty easily.  I feel fortunate.

6. How many books have you written?

I've written many stories, throughout my lifetime, but these are the first that I've pursued publishing.

7. How many are published?

One.  That number will be three by the end of the year.

8. Are you self published or traditionally published?

I'm self published.

9. What's the hardest part of the writing process for you?

No matter how much writing I get done, it's as if my fingers can't keep up... and I'm a fast typist.  That’s probably the hardest thing for me to do, is to tear myself away from a book in progress.  But as a single parent I’m glad to, in order to be able to spend time with my kid.  I have three adult children, and a ten year old daughter who is much more interesting than any book.   Unfinished projects have always bothered me though, so I work hard to get things completed in a timely manner.    

10. What type of books do you enjoy reading?

I love thrillers, espionage, conspiracy theories, science fiction, suspense, paranormal, mysteries, crime dramas.

11. Who's your favorite Author?

If I were forced to choose (which is nearly impossible) I'd have to say Tolkien, King, and Baldacci.

12. What's your all time favorite book?

I've always love Tolkiens, though I can’t pick just one.

Amazon USA:
http://www.amazon.com/Blind-Veil-ebook/d...330&sr=8-1

Video Teaser Trailer for Blind Veil:
http://www.youtube.com/my_videos?feature=mhee

facebook fan page:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Michael-Lorde-Author-the-official-fan-page/224136664342033

Websites:
http://www.wix.com/paperairplanespublis/michael-lorde
http://www.wix.com/paperairplanespublis/blindveil

Blog:
http://michaelordeauthor.blogspot.com/

Twitter: 

https://twitter.com/#!/BlindVeil

or @BlindVeil  on Twitter

Blind Veil is also available at-
Barnes and Nobles:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/blind-ve...blind+veil

Smashwords:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/101069

facebook order page:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Michael-Lorde-Author-the-official-fan-page/224136664342033?sk=app_208412272531040

Review- Altered Journey by Roberta DeCaprio

Title: Altered Journey
Author: Roberta DeCaprio

Pages: 394
Format: eBook and Paperback

Meet Guylan Sincloud, a Druid able to travel through time, and Nela O’Riley, a young woman able to change the future. Both inheritance of magical gifts, the destined couple must use their gifts in order to achieve satisfaction for both themselves and their families. However, changing the past and future by resurrecting the dead and preventing death, alters the present. Is this worth possibly sacrificing Guylan and Nela’s relationship?

After all, in some families, not even death is final.



Review:

Altered Journey is a great adventure and I enjoyed reading it. The plot runs smoothly although at times the journey seems to move slow. This book shows the in site of it's two main characters Guylan and Nela. The journey was remarkable with new curves with every page you turned. The details throughout the book had my heart racing and at some points within the story I even wanted to cry.

I am giving Altered Journey a Four Star review. I had a hard time staying with the story because of the font issues and the dropped caps didn't seem to match up at times. I think the format could have been better but the plot of the story was amazing.

Thank you Roberta for the wonderful read.

Roberta DeCaprio Website

Blogoversary......Authors Wanted

Hey there

The Writing World is coming up to it's first Birthday. We are exactly 77 days away. I'd love to do an awesome giveaway for this event. Therefore, I am looking for Authors who are willing to donate one of their books for a "Book Prize Package".

If interested, please contact me via the contact form. I'm willing to work with Self Published and Traditional Published authors.

I'd like to get about ten books for the prize package.

To those who don't have a blog, does this sound like fun to you??

Self Publishing and Marketing

One of the main parts of the publishing equation is Marketing for your book. Marketing is the way you get your work out there to your key readers. Although this step may seem a bit over whelming, I've done some research and put together some tips to help make your Marketing a bit more successful.

First and foremost, I suggest making sure your books is ready for the publication and marketing stage. This means fully edited to the best in which it can be, formatted into whatever version you want to put it in, and make sure any and all mistakes are fixed. Here you could make a trial version for only you. This way you can see what it looks like before you put it out in the market. I have seen books where there were odd characters such as >, -, ", etc... placed in spots throughout the book that should be there. I feel when a reader, such as myself, begin reading these types of books, it throws the reader off. Another thing I have noticed is where a dropped cap is used, it isn't always used correctly. I feel that when using the dropped cap, the first letter for the first word doesn't need to be used. Here's what I'm referring to if you're not quite sure.

I have noticed this is a variety of self published books. I think it's best just to double check and then, perhaps, check again.

Next, remember the font. I have read self published books where the font changed every where throughout the book. The worst part is that the font went smaller and it was hard to read. This may make the reader stop reading your book which isn't what we want at all. I think remaining with the same font and size is best. Keep it simple. Fancy text has it's way of distracting a reader.

Lastly, you could have a beta stage for your book. You could choose several readers to go through your book, read it, and tell you what they think. As them certain questions you'd like the answers to. This way your, in a way, getting that last step of the editing in with a different set of eyes.  You can also use their words, as long as they agree, in your book to help show other readers what people think of the book.

Once you're sure all mistakes are fixed and your manuscript is polished up, it's time for publishing and marketing. When publishing your work, it's best to start the marketing for it. Let friends and family know you have a book coming out. This is one of the best places to start. You can announce it on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Authors.com, Goodreads, and many more websites. The more places you post it, the more likely you are to have readers waiting for it's release.

Another idea you could use is a Virtual Book Tour. Contact bloggers who are willing to review your work and be part of the blog tour. (You can find more information about blog tours all over the internet). You can even offer to give a free copy as a giveaway prize. This helps to get your book out there as well.



If you're planning on self publishing, what is your biggest concern?

**All idea's within this post are of my own. I'm passing on what I have learned during my process of publishing and marketing books.**

Silenced Characters- Part Two

I have learned while writing, it's really fun and helpful to find photo's of those who look like the characters in the stories you're writing. Although these photo's aren't owned by me, please keep in mind they look like the characters and are not the actual characters. Enjoy.

Let me introduce the look like to Landon. Here's a small bit about Landon.

Age: 18

Worthiness: Focused, Passionate, Sympathetic, responds actively to surroundings, embraces opportunity, reinforces the main character, Amber


 Landon hates conflict and would rather everything go smooth. Amber gives him a run for his money with her attitude and her drive to have a great time.

Let me introduce, Patrick. He's mostly confused and doesn't know what he wants. He's dating Casey and their relationship is like a roller coaster. He likes to party and have a great time. Although, drugs are his thing, he's caring and doesn't like conflict either.

Now Accepting

The Writing World is open for new Author Interviews and Author Spotlights. If you're interested, please take a look at the guidelines and interview questions. Answer the questions and email them to the posted email. If you're chosen, I will contact you via email letting you know what day your post will appear. If you are scheduled, please be sure to have all requested material sent in before your scheduled day. If the material is not emailed by then, you will be skipped and someone else will take your place. At this time, we are scheduling for some spots in March and April.

Thank you.

Author Interview- Neil Low

Welcome to this weeks Author Interview. Today we have Neil Low with us. Thank you for coming by Neil to share some thoughts. Glad to have you.

1. Please tell the readers a bit more about you.

1.      I am a veteran captain with the Seattle Police Department and have been involved in police work my whole adult life. When I went through the academy in the early 70s, we were told to read Joseph Wambaugh’s novels, The New Centurions and The Blue Knight. I was immediately hooked on Wambaugh’s fresh approach to writing and decided at that moment I wanted to be a writer when I grew up and got tired of police work. First, I had to go out and experience excitement, and then I had to learn to write well enough for people to want to read about it. So, I worked dangerous and exciting assignments during my career, and then as I rose in the ranks, I went back to college and graduated cum laude from the University of Washington Bothell. The only problem is that I never got tired of police work. I’m still here after all these years.

 

2. What types of books do you write?

1.      I write noir murder mysteries set in 1940’s Seattle. Some of my rationale for choosing this era was to avoid any complaints of conflict of interest or accusations that I divulged official secrets learned through my position on the department. The other reason is that while in college one of my professors encouraged me to read Raymond Chandler for a class project. As with reading Joe Wambaugh, I was again inspired to pursue writing, but in a more stylized way, the Chandler way, focusing on the noir movies and stories I remembered as a kid. I like exploring the dark side of human behavior and through my writing I try to figure what motivates people to do the atrocious things they do to each other. I don’t believe that somebody commits a crime we would call horrendous just because they are pure evil; instead, I believe, there is some rational process they go through that makes sense to them at the moment. The rest of us don’t agree with it, but nonetheless it provided a motivation for this person/character.

 

 3. Who's your main audience?

 

1.      I have a surprising number of male readers who are mature in age and education, but my largest audience is women over forty, who make up the majority of readers everywhere. I have a young male protagonist, Alan Stewart, who gets into a number of situations many of the males can only dream of, yet at the same time he has a sensitivity the women find appealing, while they watch him grow and mature into a young man. Alan develops an attraction to a woman near forty, who breaks role stereo-typing by becoming Seattle’s first woman private investigator. She’s a strong character with a colorful past who fills the role of Alan’s tutor and temptress. And as I’m thinking of it, all the women have strong roles, even those who are victims. None of my characters will play completely helpless roles, needing men to save them from peril. They all have a source of strength, which I’ve found to be true in life—even if it only means finding a way to survive.

4. When it comes to writing- what are your strong points? What are your weaknesses?

 

1.      My strong points are characterization and plotting. I’ve had some wonderful compliments from literary agents and bookstore staff, saying I write lean like Dashiell Hammett with Raymond Chandler-like alliterations, even referencing a passage or two they liked. I’ve also had readers quote back some of my original dialogue to me, because they found it memorable enough that it stuck in their head. That kind of experience is truly humbling. As far as weakness, one agent I respect very much said that although I write like Chandler, she’s looking for something more modern and edgy, which is not where I’m at now. She’s looking for the next James Ellroy, who writes with an unblinking eye. That may come later for me when I move on from police work and can write about modern times. That’s when I will come up with new characters and a different pacing. In fact, I already have a story idea that’s percolating while I finish my fifth Alan Stewart novel.

5. What do you think of this term- Writer's Block? How do you overcome it?

 

1.      As far as WRITER’S BLOCK goes, I haven’t really experienced it…yet. Sure, there are times when I’m taking longer to work out a scene, moving people in and around a room, a ship’s deck, or a hotel’s basement, but I have secrets I use. First, I have a large white board where I draw out the scene and characters, moving them about as modified stick figures, visible from an overhead view—which happens to be just like a crime scene sketch. This way I don’t lose bodies in dynamic fight scenes, and I can get into the little boy mode of playing with toy soldiers, which is something else I’ve done. Other tricks include taking a shower and letting the hot water roll over me. There’s something about the tactile touching that activates the alpha state, where I’m most creative. If that still doesn’t work, I sit down in a chair and do a formal mediation, which is something I learned how to do many years ago. Once I can calm down and relax, the characters can go to work and tell me where the story should go. And a funny little side to this alpha state thing is that I have woken up in the middle of the night only to find the characters ready to play. Rather than fight it, I climbed out of bed, booted up the computer, and wrote it all down. You cannot wait for morning when this happens, because if you let yourself go back to sleep, you will have a dickens’ of a time remembering what it was that woke you, which is often some very good plotting.

6. How many books have you written?

 

1.      I have four novels and they are all published: THICK AS THIEVES, SIGN OF THE DRAGON, UNREASONABLE PERSUASION, and UNHOLY ALLIANCE. I’m nearing the completion of my fifth novel, THEATER OF THE CRIME. Okay, there’s one more I’ve been keeping in a drawer, because it has my Alan Stewart character at a more advanced age, which is actually when I first discovered him. I’m keeping STRAYS a secret because I don’t want to confuse my audience by having them see Alan as a mature man, especially when he’s not the main focus of the story. Some of my private reading friends who’ve read this one keep nagging me to publish it, but I think I’ll wait a while longer.

7. How many are published?

 

1.      See: number 6.

8. Are you self published or traditionally published?

1.      Are self-published and traditionally published the only two options to choose from? I work with Kristen Morris of Tigress Publishing, and we call it collaborative publishing. Yes, I’ve paid for her services, the cover, the editing, and the printing, but she also helps with the marketing, distribution, and event planning. She also helped me convert my files so that they were electronically available on my website and Kindle. She also designed and built my website. You don’t get that with self-publishing.

 

9. What's the hardest part of the writing process for you?

 

1.      The hardest part of the writing process for me is setting the staging, crafting the scene, and getting the story down on paper. It’s also tremendously rewarding. Originally, editing was the hardest, because I think like many writers I wanted to believe my story was a gift from the gods and was delivered perfectly to me, but then as I combed through the draft, I re-worked and re-worked it as many as fourteen or fifteen times. Finally, I asked another published author, and he assured me that it took many re-writes. I asked him if that wasn’t exhausting, and he told me that was the part he enjoyed the most—the buffing and polishing, which made the story sparkle. After that, I tried his approach and found there is a lot of joy to it. It also helps that I insisted on being a part of the editing process, so I would learn what the trained eyes were looking for. This helped me tremendously, and I spend much less time on the edits as I did before; consequently, writing and editing is a much more enjoyable process, because my skill set is much stronger. As my friend predicted, I now enjoy putting the luster on a story, which I’m proud to say is mine.

10. What type of books do you enjoy reading?

 

1.      I primarily read crime fiction novels. That goes all the way back to fifth grade when I discovered the Hardy Boys. I read every one of those that summer and loved them all. A neighbor and I collected the series, which he somehow won in a coin flip. Before I went back to college, my wife and I did the same thing with Tony Hillerman’s series, set in the American Southwest, collecting them all. And let’s not forget the Harry Potter series. I read all of those to my daughters and thoroughly loved them and the movies. I suppose in many ways my Alan Stewart has many Harry Potter qualities, just darker, deadlier, and more sexually experienced. But of course I also love literature, particularly John Steinbeck, William Faulkner, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Toni Morrison.

11. Who's your favorite Author?

 

1.      My favorite author continues to be Raymond Chandler, followed closely by Dashiell Hammett. About the time I think I’ve read all their stories, I find and collect ones I didn’t know were still available. I even read their uncompleted ones that other authors finished in their name and style.

12. What's your all time favorite book?

 

1.      Sorry Raymond and Dashiell, but my all-time favorite book is L.A. Confidential by James Ellroy. Was that a trick question? This is another story we studied in college, after first analyzing the movie, the directing, the camera angles, and what made it so great. I not only bought the novel, but I had Santa bring me the screenplay and DVD. I was very impressed how the screenwriters were able to capture the essence of Ellroy’s work and condense it into a very tight screenplay. They should have won the Oscar that year, but I think it went to Titanic, which was the sentimental favorite.

Author's Links:

http://www.amazon.com/Thieves-Detectives-Stewart-Deward-ebook/dp/B004XQWQVS/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&qid=1328070732&sr=8-4

http://www.amazon.com/Dragon-Detectives-Stewart-Deward-ebook/dp/B004XR4K3E/ref=pd_sim_kstore_2?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2

http://www.amazon.com/Unreasonable-Persuasion-Detectives-Stewart-ebook/dp/B004XQWR3K/ref=pd_sim_kstore_2?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2

http://www.amazon.com/UNHOLY-ALLIANCE-Stewart-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B006J7L8VS/ref=pd_sim_kstore_2?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2

http://neillow.com/

http://neillowauthor.blogspot.com/

Author Spotlight- Dan Wright

It's that time again!!! Welcome to this week's Author Spotlight. I'd like to welcome Dan Wright to The Writing World. I had much time to work with Dan and want to thank him for being so helpful. If you'd like to learn more about him, please read on to the interview. There's also a permanent link on the side bar that will take you to his website. Feel free to check that out as well.

1. Please tell the readers a bit more about you.

My name is Dan, I live in the UK and I am an author and part time book reviewer. I like reading, listening to music, blogging and watching films and TV and generally just living in a fantasy world! I have also played in a few bands and have performed on some small festival stages.

2. What types of books do you write?

I write fantasy novels with a strong manga influence. I love manga because it has a lot of great characterization and drama – but also a tongue and cheek humour to it. It’s not afraid to have fun, whilst at the same time being dramatic. It’s a style that I have adapted to my writing. My novels are usually set in the world of Draconica, which is a fantasy world where dragons used to rule. Whilst I do write them with the intention of them being stand alone stories, I do find ways of connecting them in some way, making a sort of ‘shared universe,’ something which I picked up from reading comics.

3. Who's your main audience?

It depends on the style of the book. I tend to write books for the young adult market (aged 13 upwards) as I don’t want to write books that are going to single out potential readers. However, I do have one book that is intended for the adult market coming out soon – though I try to stay away from writing books that are too adult as I want as many people as possible to read my works.

4. When it comes to writing- what are your strong points? What are your weaknesses?

For me, I love creating characters. I have been praised in the past for how well my characters come across in the story and their personalities, so this is definitely something I consider a strength. For weaknesses, I would say knowing when to stop writing! Sometimes I can write entire paragraphs that are almost half a page long – when really it can be summed up in only a few words. I usually have to spend hours editing my books afterwards because I write so much drivel! Less is more – that’s something I need to work on.

5. What do you think of this term- Writer's Block? How do you overcome it?

Actually, there is a song by the band Dream Theater that covers this exact subject. It’s called “Wither” and actually is about a guy dealing with writers block. If I’m stuck, I like to listen to this song for inspiration.

In fact, Dream Theater are able to inspire me a lot with their music. If I get stuck, I put on some Dream Theater and let the music take me. It seems to work for me, however, for most writers, I think the best way is that if you’re stuck with Writers Block, it’s a sign that you need to step away from the computer/typewriter/quill pen (if that’s your thing) and chill out for a bit.

6. How many books have you written?

One full length novel (Trapped on Draconica) and one novella (The Wandering Valkyr). I also have another novella on the way and am writing two more books (maybe three) to be released this year.

7. How many are published?

Trapped on Draconica is currently out on ebook and paperback. The Wandering Valkyr is ebook only.

8. Are you self published or traditionally published?

Self-published. I actually made this choice as opposed to going traditionally published as I kinda liked the idea of being in control of my own project. And with all the technology out to help self-published authors out, it’s even easier and more cost effective. That’s not to say that I have anything against traditionally published authors (in fact I am friends with some traditionally published authors), I just like the idea of being in control of how my story is marketed.

9. What's the hardest part of the writing process for you?

Coming up with an idea – and sticking with it! I come up with ideas for stories all the time, but not all of them are good. But once I get an idea and it sticks in my head long enough, that’s when I know I have a good idea. There has been many a time when I’ve started a book and then abandoned it because I have no interest in it anymore – that is something I try to avoid these days.

10. What type of books do you enjoy reading?

I actually work part time as a book reviewer, so I read a large number of novels, by both independent and published authors. Whilst I do like reading science fiction and fantasy, I am always interested in reading works by new authors and the wonderful ideas that they have. In fact, my favourite book of last year was by an independent author.

11. Who's your favorite Author?

Douglas Adams. He had a style and wit that no one could match and his works were always so clever and well written. His worlds, although over the top and stupid in places, did actually feel real because of the way they were described.

12. What's your all time favorite book?

Hitchikers Guide to the Galaxy. No book series has made me laugh so much as this one did.

website: http://www.pandragondan.co.uk/
where to buy the book: http://www.trappedondraconica.com/wheretobuy.htm
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PandragonDanWright
Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/PandragonDan

Book Review of Dan Wright's Trapped on Draconica is coming up. Keep your eyes out so you don't miss it.

Brighten My Day....

I must say that a wonderful blog did just that today. The Masquerade Crew picked The Writing World as Follower of the week. So I wanted to make a public post to say Thank you and to pass this awesome news on to everyone.

Check it out here: The Masquerade Crew

Author Interview- Lisa Vooght

Welcome to this week's Author Interview. Today we have Lisa Vooght with us. Glad to have her here for our interview. Please read on to find out more about her.


1. Please tell the readers a bit more about you.

I was born and raised in Lancaster County, PA and work in the special education field.  Writing started out as a hobby - I entered a contest or two, and wrote several pieces for a local newspaper column "I Know A Story".  Eventually I started a blog called Flash Fiction to test the waters further and to hone my skills, which then led to a collection of flash fiction pieces entitled "Small Doses", published by Trestle Press in January 2012.

2. What types of books do you write?
I still enjoy writing short stories and flash fiction, although I have an outline for a novel in the works.

3. Who's your main audience?
The stories appeal to a broad audience - there seem to be equal numbers of men and women, as well as all age groups. Many have a "twist" at the end which readers find appealing, although I don't rely on it as a crutch. 

4. When it comes to writing- what are your strong points? What are your weaknesses?
I think many of my themes - love, grief, and loss - are tempered with a gentle humor which touches the reader.  Research is also one of my strong points, especially when it comes to historical fiction, which has appeared on my blog and may be the basis of my next collection.  Weaknesses include paring down the narrative too much - flash fiction, while short, still needs to be complete -and avoidance of dialogue, which I really need to work on!

5. What do you think of this term- Writer's Block? How do you overcome it?
Oh, I think every writer gets blocked on occasion. Mine generally stems from anxiety, so I might take a long shower or lie down for a nap to recharge.

6. How many books have you written?
Just one, Small Doses. I started a novel, then got fed up with it and stuck it in a drawer.

7. How many are published?
Again, just the one book, although I've had several individual stories published.

8. Are you self published or traditionally published?
Traditionally published. I'm terrified of computers, formatting and such so I haven't the nerve to tackle self publishing.

9. What's the hardest part of the writing process for you?
Coming up with a fresh angle. I have plenty of ideas, but I turn them over and over in my head to try and present them in a new light.  For example, there's a local ghost story I'd love to use, but it resembles so many others. How can I make it "mine", keeping the reader both engaged and guessing till the end?
 

10. What type of books do you enjoy reading?
Oddly enough, I read very little fiction. I enjoy history, biographies, medical texts and science magazines.

11. Who's your favorite Author?
Does anyone ever pick just one? Thomas Hardy, Charles Dickens, Margaret George, David McCullough to name a few.

12. What's your all time favorite book?
For some reason, Watership Down always comes to mind.
You can find me at:
Flash Fiction blog http://lisavooght.blogspot.com
Facebook http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lisa-Vooght-Author/273487342692018
Twitter as @ficflash

"Small Doses" (Kindle) is available at:Barnes and NobleAmazon UK    Amazon               

Happy Valentines Day- Free eBook

I wanted to wish everyone a wonderful Valentine's Day. I hope your day is filled with love and laughter. Here is an amazing Author giving away a FREE copy of one of her books. Enjoy!

 Samara: A Kilenya Romance is up for free on Kindle today! (Happy Valentine's Day. :-)) Here's the link to Amazon for it: http://amzn.to/yKh1a6

Did you give an amazing gift to a loved one? OR Did you receive an amazing gift? Share your thoughts below.

Inspiration

A few weeks ago, I mentioned that I would love to hear what inspires you. I've got several interesting replies to this and I would like to take a moment to share some with you. Enjoy. :)

Neil Low:
What inspires my writing most is reading about historical crimes that have either had a strong local or national appeal, like the Lindbergh Kidnapping, which touched the hearts of people around the world. Reading about the case, using my veteran cop experience, I was convinced that more people were involved in the kidnapping, the investigation was shoddy, and many of the trial witnesses were hungry for headlines. So of course I wrote about the case and expanded what might have happened. I've also been drawn to Seattle stories that gathered national headlines during their era, like the disappearance of an aging heiress, shortly after her marriage to a much younger man. The local police did a fantastic job solving that murder, but no one remembers the case today. Then there was the murder of a police officer during Prohibition, his body found inside a locked garage with two bullet holes to his face and another wound on top of his head. Despite the suspicious circumstances and other defensive wounds, the death was ruled a suicide by the Homicide Commander. As a modern day Homicide Commander of the same department, I had access to what was left of the original case file, and I didn't like what I read. This dubious finding makes for great material for me to write about and explore with my own theories. My current story involves the death of a young woman near a north end lake in Seattle. Evidence suggest sexual assault and points towards her father, a disabled war veteran, but is this an unfair character assassination by sensation seeking reporters? Again, there is more to this story that begs to be told. I love writing about cases like these where you know there is more to the story than we were told. I particularly like fictionalizing sketchy historical accounts, because I feel this is the best way to get at the deeper truths in life and explore the motives that drive people to do what they do. That's what makes a great story.

 Karen:
Nature inspires me a lot. I love being a passenger during car rides because I get to stare out the window at the scenery. I'll take my camera out with me and just take pictures of trees I find interesting, or one time, a Cadillac graveyard I stumbled on while hiking. All of it stores itself in my brain and eventually inspires, or just finds itself, in a story. 


Camille Griffiths:

 When I started writing, I got all my inspiration from the way I wished movies or books would have turned out. Now, I get a lot of it from life experiences, dreams, daydreams, and my daughter. =)

Blog Awards

This is a lovely surprise I woke up to this morning. I was notified that I won two blog awards via Confessions of a Bookaholic. First I would like to thank Confessions for thinking of The Writing World when deciding who her 15 blogs where. Now that's done, I have to pass them on as well to 15 more bloggers. I'm mixing up the rules like Confessions did to make it easy and fun for everyone. Check out the list below and see if you were chosen for these two wonderful awards.

Kreative Blogger Award Rules:

1. Link back to the one who gave you this award

2. Share 10 random facts about yourself

3. Pass the award on to 6 other people

4. Follow the persons blog who sent you it (Confessions made this one up but I LOVE followers, too!)

10 Random Facts about myself:

1. I love the smell of new books. 

2. I hate shopping but could spend hours in Barnes and Noble's store.

3. I hated school but graduated with a 3.0 and graduated from college on the deans list.

4. I like making mistakes so long as I can honestly say I learned something from it. 

5. I love writing and I'm currently working on my first book.

6. I love helping people even if it means hurting myself in the process.

7. I love kids.

8. Besides, reading and writing, music is another aspect of live I can't live without.

9. I am a mother of one beautiful little girl and I plan on having another sometime soon.

10. I love when people read my blogs and leave me comments. They kind of make my day.

The One Lovely Blog Award rules are:

1. Link back to the one who gave you this award.

2. pass the award on to 15 other lovely bloggers.

3. Follow the person who sent it to you.

The Amazing Bloggers who I am passing these awards to are:

1. Judy Dunn- Cat's Eye Writer

2. Melissa Marsh- Writing with Style

3. Ashley- Made With Love  

4. Inspired Kathy- I am a Reader, Not a Writer 

5. Ava Jae- Writability  

6. Bella- The Misadventures of Bella's Second Life

7. Ashley- Peace & Love

8. Melinda Cummings- My Vintage Reality

9. Jen- Mom-ology

10. Tere- Tere's Never Quite Normal World

11. Monique- Mountain of Grace

12. Kay- The More The Merrier

13. Jenny- Practically Perfect

14. Milena- Be Your Best Mom

15. Stephanie- Life of a Twingle Gal

There you have it. So, once again I'd like to thank Confessions for thinking of The Writing World and I'm happy to pass on these two awards to the list of amazing bloggers above. It was fun but hard at the same time. 

Glad you stopped by. Have a wonderful day!!!