Showing posts with label author interviews. Show all posts
Showing posts with label author interviews. Show all posts

Friday, May 3, 2013

TWITTER'VIEW WITH AUTHOR PAXTON HELLING



THE WAREHOUSE
SYNOPSIS

Where is the best place for a psychopath to hide? Within the penal system, where he serves justice one death sentence at a time. 

This book is part one in a three part trilogy.

New York's death penalty was abolished in 2007, the Court of Appeals, the state's highest court, ruled the death penalty statute unconstitutional because of a defective protocol it determined was coercive in nature.

Seven years later, that had changed...and by the following winter of 2015 over a hundred inmates on it's now infamous death row had found death by a lethal, three way injection system. That number would increase each year until finally reaching a point well past any previous mark.

In 2022, however, it was all to change, again.

The Warehouse project was moving along nicely. New York Governor Mr. Hugh Clayton and his Chief of Staff Mr. Benjamin Bailey were at the precipice of solving mankind's most trying riddle. And with the help of a software engineering genius (code name Bios), and a world renowned neuroscientist (code name Cluster), they had not only cracked the code to the psychotic mind, but they had also developed a protocol of their own. And with their program now ready to go live, all they needed to complete this masterpiece was their final test subject.

You are invited to watch history in the making as the future of technology unravels the folds of the human psyche. DNA, the very code of life itself, gives up its secrets as the technology, the software, and the program "fixes" one criminal mind at a time.

But be careful what you believe because when the plot turns back onto itself like a double helix, all bets are off as the reader is faced with the heart pounding...beginning.


Let's begin the @vdkwes Paxton Helling TWITTER'VIEW Author of The Warehouse Psychological Thriller


Dragonheart: Welcome Paxton and thank you for joining me tonight.

Paxton: Thank you, I have been looking forward to this.


Dragonheart: As have I. Tell us about your current project.

Paxton: THE WAREHOUSE > A psychological thriller. The first book of a three part trilogy.


Dragonheart: What sparked the idea for this project?

Paxton: With a background in neuroscience, I wanted to explore the possibility of using technology as a way to "fix" the criminal.


Dragonheart: Interesting idea! When can we expect to see book 2?

Paxton: I am hoping to have it ready in the fall of 2013 or early 2014.


Dragonheart: Looking forward to it. How do you choose character names?

Paxton: I Google a list of baby names and while going down the list, I choose the one that seems to "fit" the character I am creating.


Dragonheart: Music seems to influence a lot of authors, what music influences you?

Paxton: I've always connected with Grunge Bands. Nirvana and Pearl Jam have inspired me with their unique form of storytelling. 


Dragonheart: Have you always wanted to write?

Paxton: Ironically, NO. ADD and dyslexia are the culprits. I do, however, love to tell stories, so the process is very time consuming.


Dragonheart: Who has been your greatest influence?

Paxton: I would have to say God. I am inspired by the vast complexities of the world around us.


Dragonheart: Do you have or have you ever had a muse?

Paxton: In my case a muse isn't necessarily an entity, rather, a formation from my subconscious that seems to drive the narrative.


Dragonheart: A muse in any form. :) What one subject is TABOO in your writing?

Paxton: The death of children or animals. 


Dragonheart: I like that! What do you do when you aren't writing?

Paxton: I enjoy the Cliche's of life--family and friends. I also love to mountain bike as well as golf and hike.


Dragonheart: If there was a book you wish you'd written, which would it be?

Paxton: I'm not an avid reader, so there isn't one particular title, but I wish I could have written the screenplay for THE MATRIX.


Dragonheart: Interesting choice. What is your greatest passion?

Paxton: Inspiring others! It's amazing what we are capable of accomplishing if we'd just remove FEAR and FAILURE from our vocabulary.


Dragonheart: :) What one word best describes you?

Paxton: Persevering


Dragonheart: If you could change places with one of your characters, would you? Which one and why?

Paxton: Alex, the computer programmer, he has the power to write whatever code he wants into the minds of those who are in THE WAREHOUSE. 


Dragonheart: Is there one, current, TV show, that is "can't miss" for you?

Paxton: The Following


Dragonheart: It is addictive. Money is no object, where do you go?

Paxton: Wherever a whim would take me. Could be the mountains or the sea. I guess it'd depend on my mood at the moment. I like both.


Dragonheart: I know you said you aren't an avid reader but....Can you tell me the first two books on your TBR list?

Paxton: I can give you one. I am currently reading WISHBONE by BROOKLYN HUDSON. So far I'm loving it.


Dragonheart: You have excellent taste. Tell us one thing we may not know about you.

Paxton: :) I probably wouldn't read my own books, but I would be the first in line to watch them at the movies. LOL!


Dragonheart: What do you want to be when you grow up?

Paxton: Content and satisfied. I hope to look back and enjoy the many accomplishments along the way.


Dragonheart: Final question. Of the 7 Deadly Sins, which one have you committed most recently?

Paxton: Envy. When I read other authors, I am a bit envious of their talents.


Dragonheart: Thank you so much for joining me tonight Paxton. It has been a true pleasure. 

Paxton: Likewise. I really enjoyed my time, have a great weekend.







If you would like to follow Paxton on Twitter:
@vdkwes




Wednesday, May 1, 2013

TWITTER'VIEW WITH AUTHOR DIANE STRONG


THE RUNNING SUSPENSE SERIES:

Each a stand-alone story, all featuring a runner as the main character. The Running Suspense Collection will engross and move you. 
This riveting collection of short stories features an unforgettable cast of characters: Luke Randall, a simple. fifty-something widower finds himself fighting for his life after following a scruffy puppy into a house of drug-crazed squatters.
Cora Franklin, an attentive mother of two makes a decision that will forever change her life, if she lives through it. 
Issac Fisher, a young Amish father and husband leaves the Amish community only to return secretly to visit a long lost lover.
Claire, a flirtatious teenage girl in love with an Ironman bound track star loses her innocence after she catches the eye of a twisted red-haired groundskeeper.
A disgruntled husband loses his mind while waiting for his wife to awake from a coma after she is found at the bottom of a ravine during a long-distance trail run.
A tuff as nails single mom is put into an unthinkable situation in a sad-looking trailer house after she loses her keys during a run. 
Often surprising, always suspenseful this collection will captivate and enthrall you. It may even make you think twice before heading out on your next run.


Let's begin with the Diane Strong TWITTER'VIEW Author of The Running Collection Suspense

Dragonheart: Welcome Diane. Thank you so much for joining me tonight.

Diane: Thank you so much for having me.


Dragonheart: It's an honor. Tell us about your current project.

Diane: I have two, I am finishing up my Running Suspense Series (putting it into a paperback collection), and I am starting a new fiction novel that I'm really excited about.


Dragonheart: Sounds interesting! What sparked the idea for this project?

Diane: The stories are suspense stories with runners as the MC. I got the ideas for all of them while running on back country roads. I would run by an abandoned house and think "hmm, what if...? And the story would build from there. There are 6 stories now.


Dragonheart: And they are amazing! How do you choose book covers?

Diane: I just think them up in my mind. I try to get an image that will represent the story and catch someone's eye.


Dragonheart: How do you choose character names?

Diane: The characters tell me their names.


Dragonheart: Wow! Music seems to influence a lot of authors, what music influences you?

Diane: I love all music, but it doesn't really help me write. I prefer silence when I write so I can hear the music of the story.


Dragonheart: What a beautiful answer! How do you handle "writers block?"

Diane: Simple. I go for a run. It works every time.


Dragonheart: Who has been your greatest influence?

Diane: Probably the English teachers I had in high school and college. They encouraged me even though that wasn't my major.


Dragonheart: Teachers are our greatest resource. Do you have or have you ever had a muse?

Diane: The death of my mother was the muse that got me writing again after 15 years.


Dragonheart: I'm sorry for your loss. What one subject is TABOO in your writing?

Diane: Children. My stories can get a little twisted and sick, but I leave kids out of the real bad stuff.


Dragonheart: What do you do when you aren't writing?

Diane: Homeschool my kids, RUN, bike, swim, hike and do fun stuff with my family. We love to be outdoors.


Dragonheart: :) If there was a book you wish you'd written, which would it be?

Diane: Born To Run by Christopher McDougall. It was such a great read and it influenced so many people including myself. Nearly every runner who reads that book looks differently at the way they run. And many of us wear little to no shoe.


Dragonheart: I think I know the answer to this but....What is your greatest passion?

Diane: Running...duh. But there is more. I am passionate about protecting the earth, nutrition, animals, living green, buying organic, supporting local farmers, living life to the fullest, being optimistic and being happy...no matter what.

Dragonheart: What ONE word best describes you?

Diane: I noticed the CAPS on ONE :) That is tough. Okay, one word to describe me...UNIQUE. Or maybe...no, never mind.


Dragonheart: LOL If you could change places with any of your characters, would you? Which one and why?

Diane: Switch places with one of my characters? Hell no!
Seriously, I wouldn't trade places with anyone, especially my characters.


Dragonheart: :) Is there one, current, TV show, that is can't miss for you?

Diane: I don't have a TV, so no. When I do watch a movie, I usually get documentaries or comedies. "This is 40" was a hoot. "Food Inc", "Food Matter", "Forks over Knives" and "Super Size Me" are big winners in my view too.


Dragonheart: NO TV? Money is no object, where do you go?

Diane: If money was no object I would go backpacking around the world. New places, new people and lots of exercise...perfect. :)


Dragonheart: Tell us, please, the first two books on your TBR list.

Diane: I am currently reading "Flying Lessons" by Francis Potts and have "The Cloud Seekers" by Jayne Lockwood in cue.


Dragonheart: Tell us one thing we may not know about you.

Diane: I once gave mouth-to-mouth to a chipmunk. Hey, you asked. 


Dragonheart: Nothing wrong with that! What do you want to be when you grow up?

Diane: When I grow up? I want to be a big kid. I don't want to take life so seriously, just play.


Dragonheart: Final question. Of the 7 Deadly Sins, which one have you committed most recently?

Diane: Gluttony. I ate almost an entire head of cauliflower today...and I intend to have a couple of beers after this TWITTER'VIEW.


Dragonheart: :) Thank you for joining me tonight Diane. It has been an honor and privilege.

Diane: and thank you Debby, this was really fun!






















Tuesday, April 9, 2013

TWITTER'VIEW WITH AUTHOR NINIE HAMMON



The Last Safe Place: synopsis

In the deepest, darkest, midnight of her soul, Gabriella writes a book, a horror story about demons...and then one of them crawls up out of the pages and confronts her face to face. A deranged, fanatical fan who believes he is the Beast of Babylon from her novel, turns up at a book signing and then comes after her to claim his bride. And to sacrifice her son, Ty, as an offering to their unholy union.

Gabriella, Ty and Ty's grandfather, Theo--the crusty old stand-up comic called Slap Yo Mama Carmichael--run for their lives, back to the only place in Gabriella's life where she ever felt safe. But once there, she discovers that facing the demons from her past may be harder and more dangerous than facing the one who hunts her. 

As Ty and Theo battle their own, personal monsters, Gabriella begins to fall for a man who carries a guilt she can't even begin to imagine.

The predator who stalks Gabriella and her family tracks them down and corners his prey as a full moon rides high in the night sky and lightning explodes on the mountaintop. Then all their lives and demons collide in a final, apocalyptic celebration of one man's madness. Gabriella's only hope lies in the unexplainable power of a 2,000 year-old-tree. Is it strong enough to save them? Can a single, perfect bristlecone pine somehow determine the fate of them all? 



Let's begin with the @NinieHammon #TWITTER'VIEW #Author of #Thriller #Suspense #TheLastSafePlace


Dragonheart: Thank you for joining me! How are you this evening?

Ninie: If I were any better, Debby, I'd be twins. That's what my granny used to say, and no, it never made sense to me, either.

Dragonheart: LOL! I like that. Tell us about your current project.
Ninie: The Last Safe Place is my 7th book, out 4/1/13. Story of novelist, psychotic fan. Here's the summary..http://ow.ly/iBz1j


Dragonheart: You know I loved it! What sparked the idea for this project?

Ninie: Bristlecone pine forest at 12,000 feet on Mt. Princeton, Colorado Rockies. Some trees 4,000 years old, alive when Jesus walked.

Dragonheart: Amazing! How do you choose your book covers?

Ninie: Penguin-Putnam gave me 0 input on cover 4 1st book. Now, pub ask ideas, sends proofs, I work w/designer back & 4th til love it.

Dragonheart: How do you choose character names?

Ninie: 1 of many pre-writing lists. I select boy/girl names from the era/region so I can grab 1 when I need it & not grind to a halt.

Dragonheart: Music seems to influence a lot of writers, what music influences you?

Ninie: None. When 9e's writing U must be vewry, vewry quiet. Husband tiptoes like Cat Burglar, pretends he likes Sports Center on mute.

Dragonheart: LOL How do you handle "writer's block"?

Ninie: 25 yrs as journalist-story HAD 2 be done on deadline. Period! Get writer's block & ur collecting unemployment. So I never got it.

Dragonheart: Wow. Who has been your greatest influence?

Ninie: Stephen King.(KING) Dean Koontz (5 bks a yr!) Robert McCammon. IT Watchers Swan Song Element of "unexplainable" in them all.

Dragonheart: Some of my fave authors. Love Swan Song! Do you have or have you ever had a muse?

Ninie: California Raisins"..heard it through the Grapevine, dada, dada,.." Hardees gave them away in the  '70's, all 4 on my desk ever since.

Dragonheart: I remember. What one subject is TABOO in your writing?

Ninie: Not TABOO, but don't use obscenity. Gritty, earthy stories, pain, ugliness--and NO READER ever commented characters didn't curse.

Dragonheart: What do you do when you aren't writing?

Ninie: Supposed 2 be time when U don't write? Nobody told me that part! Why...I think I'll...I don't know--nap, maybe. Or roast an eel. I'm a compulsive decorator. Nesting instinct on steroids. I'd paint a motel room! Kids never stood still--afraid I'd wallpaper 'em. 

Dragonheart: HA HA HA! If there was a book you wish you'd written, which would it be?

Ninie: Lord of the Rings. Read 16 times in college--made mark on the back cover each time. Then cover fell off. Read DOZENS of times after that. 

Dragonheart: Amazing! What is your greatest passion?

Ninie: Sounds cheesy, but it's writing. When I close my eyes and that movie starts...woohoo! Hold on to your shorts Mildred, here we go!

Dragonheart: What ONE word best describes you?

Ninie: 1 word?
Funlovinggregariousloudcreativehappywaaaaytoomuchenergycreativetalkativeextrovertcreativesmilingplayfulfunnycreative.

Dragonheart: :-) If you could change places with one of your characters, would you? Which one and why?

Ninie: I think I'd like to be Jamie Sparrow in Black Sunshine. It'd be cool to carve statues of people I've never met and the future.

Dragonheart: Is the one current, TV show, that is can't miss with you?

Ninie: Hop around England/Wales/Scotland/Scandanavia & US like frog on lily pads. Get interested in show & then gone again. Wait, "Justified." Technical director of the show was coal mining expert for my novel Black Sunshine set in Harlan County, Ky.

Dragonheart: Love me some Raylan! Money is no object, where do you go?

Ninie: NOWHERE! All I do is travel! Spent golden years floating belly-up in a puddle of jet lag. Home. Cheetos. Vat of British yogurt. Ahh!!

Dragonheart: :-) Tell us, please, the first two books on your TBR list.

Ninie: I'm the only writer in the America that hasn't read Stephen King's On Writing. That #1. #2 is read all on top 100 Suspense Books list.

Dragonheart: Tell us one thing we may not know about you.

Ninie: U could follow me thru my life along a trail of my lost possessions. Hats. Gloves. Earrings. Passport! Record 4 Sunglasses..3 days.

Dragonheart: Oh no! What do you want to be when you grow up?

Ninie: I have no intention of growing up. Criteria 4 decisions is 2 ask, "What would I do if I didn't know how old I was?" Then do it.

Dragonheart: Love it! Final question. Of the 7 Deadly Sins, which one have you committed most recently?

Ninie: Uh...could we talk about butterflies? I like butterflies! Or daisies? Or...Ok. (Sigh) SIN I just got a speeding ticket--wrath!

Dragonheart: Ut oh! Thank you so much for taking the time to join me tonight Ninie. It's been an honor and a pleasure. 

Ninie: The pleasure's been all mine. I enjoyed it!























Monday, April 1, 2013

TWITTER'VIEW WITH AUTHOR FAITH HUNTER




Blood Trade synopsis

Jane Yellowrock is a shape-shifting skinwalker who's always up for a fight - even if it means putting her life on the line...

The Master of Natchez, Mississippi has a nasty problem on his hands. Rogue vampires--those who follow the Naturaleza and believe humans should be nothing more than prey to be hunted--are terrorizing his city. Luckily, he knows the perfect skinwalker to call in to take back the streets.

But what he doesn't tell Jane is there's something different about these vamps. Something that makes them harder to kill--even for a pro like Jane. Now, her simple job has turned into a fight to stay alive..and to protect the desperately ill child left in her care.


Let's begin with the @HunterFaith TWITTER'VIEW #Author of #UrbanFantasy #BloodTrade

Dragonheart: Welcome Faith. How are you tonight?

Faith: Great to be here! Waves to all the readers!

Dragonheart: Tell us, please, about your current project.

Faith: BLOOD TRADE is out tomorrow, April 2nd. Jane Yellowrock is in Natchez, Ms. fighting rogue vamps. My WIP, (work in progress), is BLACK ARTS. Jane Yellowrock is back in NOLA, with multiple problems. Related? We'll see. 

Dragonheart: Can't wait!  What sparked the idea for this project?

Faith: Previous books, unfinished plot lines, led me. I needed to pull on some and see where they went. 

Dragonheart:  Interesting! How do you choose book covers?

Faith: Commercially published writers don't say much on covers. We get asked for ideas. The art dept. of the publishing house does what they think is best. And for all the Jane Yellowrock books, I get to be happy!

Dragonheart: Did you have any input on the Jane Yellowrock model for the covers?

Faith: Not a lick! But they chose well for the last few books. She looks a lot like Jane. 

Dragonheart: Yes, she does. Music seems to influence a lot of writers, what music influences you?

Faith: Until I started the WIP, never used or listened to music while writing except for certain scenes where Jane Yellowrock is in the Cherokee sweathouse. Then I listened to American Indian music.

Dragonheart: How do you handle "writers block"?

Faith: If I can't write, it is because I did something wrong and the creative hindbrain is stopping me until I fix it. I reread and start over from the part that feels wrong. But really? I don't believe in writers block. No such thing. 

(Mudepoz): Do you think you share any of Jane's attribute's? Which do you wish you had?

Faith: Hmmm. Her ability to heal. LOL I paddled last week and I hurt.

Dragonheart: How do you choose character names?

Faith: When I create a character I pick their plot-line-job, ethnicity, gender. The basics. I do an internet search, find one I like.

Dragonheart: Who has been your greatest influence?

Faith: If you mean who in the writing world, then that list is long, and includes lots of bestselling thriller and fantasy writers. If you mean in real life, my mom, natch!

Dragonheart: Moms are awesome! Do you have or have you ever had a muse?

Faith: Yes. He is 6 feet 4, bald, hirsute, with a beer belly, and he wears a red speedo, red cowboy boots, and he carries a red whip. I write hard so I never have to go see him. He's kinda scary.

Dragonheart:  I'm not going to ask. :) What one subject is TABOO in your writing?

Faith: Not much. My bad guys are pretty horrible and do bad things. However, I try to never kill children or pets on page. And sex? Is kept to a minimum because my sex scenes suck. Ummm...I don't write sex well. (rolls eyes)

Dragonheart: You do awesome? What do you do when you aren't writing?

Faith: Well, I work about 80 hours a week, between writing full time and working at a lab full time, (for the benefits, which writers don't get). I grow orchids, make jewelry. Hubby and I paddle class II and III white waters.

Dragonheart: WOW! If there was a book you wish you'd written, which would it be?

Faith: I am very covetous, but I honestly can't think of one. I've written so many, that I've satisfied that covetous need in me.

Dragonheart: Not many can say that. What is your greatest passion?

Faith: I guess that would be writing. I give up a lot for the story. I could be relaxing on a riverbank somewhere, yet, here I am!

Dragonheart: And we, your readers, thank you! What ONE word best describes you?

Faith: LOL I'm a novelist, not a poet. Can't do it in one! Loyal. Bossy. Hot tempered. A believer in the overcoming good of life.

Dragonheart: Ha! Is there one, current TV show, that is "can't miss" with you?

Faith: I'm not sure I understand the concept of *one*. I have several NCIS, Big Bang Theory, Castle and Elementary. LOVE them!

Dragonheart: Some of my favorites! Tell us the first two books on your TBR list.

Faith: Kim Harrison's EVER AFTER. And I'm halfway through Lee Child's A WANTED MAN. I adore Jack Reacher!

Dragonheart: Tell us one thing we may not know about you.

Faith: One thing....Hmmm...I am pretty much an open book. So...really, no. I know. Boooorrriiing!

(Mudepoz): What made you decide to write about Jane? You have so many different types of books, she's very different.

Faith: Yes, she is.I love her because she is the result of so many years of writing. She is complex and broken. And she is the result of a lifetime of knowing people who are broken and maybe being one of the broken myself. 

Dragonheart: What do you want to be when you grow up?

Faith: Who says I wanna grow up? LOL Okay. A writer. And healthy. And skinny.

Dragonheart: Final question. Of the 7 Deadly Sins, which one have you committed most recently?

Faith: Gluttony. You know those creme horns? I ate two. In a row. Which is why I'm not skinny. Or particularly healthy. And which proves I'm not grown up.

Dragonheart: Love those things! So yummy! Thank you Faith for allowing me the opportunity to do this. It's been an honor! Truly!

Faith: Thank you for having me! The honor is all mine! Wait a minute! Was this all an April Fools prank?

Dragonheart: No, no April Fools. Thank you again Faith. It's been a pleasure.















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