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The Fantastic Blog Hop: Introducing…

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Juli Page Morgan

JULI PAGE MORGAN

Author Bio:

Juli Page Morgan is a former rock ‘n roll radio announcer who had the great luck to meet and interview lots of bands over the years. During those interviews she heard lots of interesting stories, but it was when the microphone was turned off and they were just hanging out that she heard – and saw – the really juicy stuff! Incorporating these revelations in her books (with names and locations changed to protect the innocent, and often the not-so-innocent!) lets her remember those wonderful people that briefly rocked through her life, and to take her readers on a hard rocking journey full of love, music and happy endings while giving a “backstage peek” at some of the things that really happened.  Her Romances that Rock™ include Crimson and Clover published by Crimson Romance, and Athena’s Daughter from Carey On Publishing.

Juli lives in Arkansas with her husband. When she’s not writing, she’s recording voiceovers for television commercials, remodeling her old house,  and trying to convince her husband the world won’t come to an end if the television is turned off.  She also listens to a lot of music at maximum volume and has never met a speed limit she didn’t exceed.  Juli’s an unapologetic lover of rock ‘n roll, Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page, and French onion dip, not necessarily in that order.

A little Q & A with WRITE STAR Juli:

1.  What was your favorite chapter to write and why?

I think it would have to be the chapter in Athena’s Daughter when Athena and her sister Andi are unpacking the boxes after Athena’s moved into Derek’s house. That particular chapter almost wrote itself, and didn’t need a lot of editing afterward. Plus, I really like the juxtaposition of Athena seeing all the mementos of her past with Derek compared to the unsettled reality of their present.

2.  What old/new author has garnered your attention the most?

Debi Matlack, hands down! I can’t even begin to describe how much I love the way she writes, and I think I’ve read her book Old Dogs about a thousand times since it was released last year. I can’t wait for her to release her next one!

3.  Which author do you feel your stories are most like?

Honestly, I don’t know.  I’m not being coy or anything, but my books are different from other rock romances, so I don’t have a lot of comparison. Not only are my books set in the 1960s and 1970s (I’m on a mission to create a new sub-genre – Mid Century Romance!), but since I was fortunate enough to hang out with rock bands and musicians when I worked in radio, I was able to get to know them as real people, and not just that public persona they put out there. As a consequence, I don’t sugar coat the rock ‘n roll lifestyle – I put it all in there, the good, the bad and the ugly.

4.  Did you learn anything from writing your book(s) and what was it?

I learned to write books the way they want to be written. (Oh, yes; they’re very demanding!) I almost killed Crimson and Clover by trying to change it to fit the rules and the formulas of conventional romance novels, but it was only when I went back to the original manuscript that it found a home with a publisher. I was told that the storyline of Athena’s Daughter wasn’t believable, but I’d learned my lesson by trying to change my first book, so I let Athena’s Daughter stand as written, and it’s done very well!

5.  What is your writing process?  Do you follow a regular routine?

Oh, have mercy – I try.   I like to write for a couple of hours in the morning, and then for a lot of hours in the afternoon. If I’m on a roll, I’ll write at night, too, but I try to leave the evenings open to actually spend time with my husband.

6.  Tell me about your muse?

She’s just evil.  Out of the blue, she’ll just take off and leave with no warning, and sometimes she doesn’t come back for weeks! I keep on writing whether she’s here or not, though, and I think that makes her jealous. Then she’ll come back and real progress will be made.

7.  What was the hardest part of writing your book?

With Crimson and Clover it was knowing when to quit writing it! It was my first book, and I kept going back and tweaking things until one day I realized I was going to have to stop that and let the book stand. With Athena’s Daughter, the hardest part was typing fast enough! That book came to me fully formed, and I couldn’t get it out fast enough!

8.  Do you have any advice for other writers?

The only way to write a book is to sit down and write it. All the rules and things? You can’t put those into play unless you’ve written the book, so just do it and then worry about that other stuff. That’s what the editing phase is for.

9.  Are there certain characters you would like to work with again, or a theme/idea you’d love to work with?

All my books are Romances that Rock, so that theme will always be prevelant in whatever I write. I learned a long time ago that rock musicians are just people – just because they’re rock stars doesn’t mean they’re all the same, so even though my books are rock romances, they’re all different to some extent. For example, Jay Carey from Crimson and Clover and Derek Marshall from Athena’s Daughter are both rock stars, but they couldn’t be more different from each other! As far as characters, some of the people from Crimson and Clover are pestering me to tell their story, and I plan to do that soon!

10.  What has been the toughest criticism given to you as an author?  What has been the best compliment?

I’d have to say that the toughest thing I’ve heard so far is when my publisher told me that the storyline for Athena’s Daughter wasn’t believable. I mean, that didn’t destroy me or anything, but it did cause some consternation. I didn’t see it as unbelievable, and it had been read by several beta readers and my critique partners, none of whom found it unbelievable. And these are people who would tell me if it was. So after a bit of thinking, I went ahead and published it, and it’s sold very well and received fantastic reviews. That brought it all home to me that not everyone is going to like the same thing. I mean, I’ve loved books that my friends were all “Meh” over, right? No, that publisher didn’t love Athena’s Daughter, but there are readers out there who do, so it’s all good. The best compliment I’ve received? Those four and five star reviews that readers have left for the books. That absolutely floors and humbles me more than I can ever express!

To keep up-to-date on this WRITE STAR and read more of her work, please follow JULI PAGE MORGAN on:

Facebook:   https://www.facebook.com/JuliPageMorganAuthor

Website:      www.julipagemorgan.com

Blog:             www.julipagemorgan.com/blog

Twitter:        https://twitter.com/julipagemorgan

GoodReads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6887176.Juli_Page_Morgan

To read more about Juli’s stories click the book icons below:

           ??????                               Athenas Daughter

To Purchase the book click here:  http://www.amazon.com/Juli-Page-Morgan/e/B00B2O07QA/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

OR HERE:   http://julipagemorgan.com/buy-the-books/

Please VISIT these other blogs today.  JULI has a different interview with each one on the hop. While you’re there take a moment to LIKE their page. They are all WRITE STARS in my book.  🙂  ENJOY

Juli Page Morgan: www.julipagemorgan.com/blog

Crimson Kildare and Kat Marlow: www.thrutheglass.net

Check back tomorrow as the FABULOUS BLOG HOP stops here again with another WRITE STAR to be premiered…. Author KAREN VAUGHAN

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The Fantastic Blog Hop: Introducing…

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Ruth Davis Hays

RUTH DAVIS HAYS

Author Bio:

Ruth Davis Hays has been a stay-at-home mom, a writer, a costumer, and a data entry clerk. Not all at the same time, of course.

A Florida native, she was born in Jacksonville and graduated with a BA from Florida State University, School of Theatre. Having a love of fantasy from an early age, she took inspiration from anywhere; staring at a picture, the clouds in the sky, or walking down her grandmother’s driveway. Studying theatre and humanities since high school, she and her friend Khanada would write short stories to entertain each other.

When she moved to Orlando with her husband, Ruth worked in the Costuming Department at Universal Orlando for four years before leaving to work as a data entry operator with Harcourt Publishing. Deciding to stay at home with her new son, she freelanced on a research project for Wizards of the Coast. Later, helping on independent films such as The Last Will and Legend of the Red Reaper, she had the fun of being an extra as well as stretching her artistic wings behind the scenes. She was allowed to design and create individual costumes for some of the lead characters on the upcoming Legend of the Red Reaper (and got to die in it, too!).

During all these adventures, she spent her spare time writing a few more adventures down and produced two fantasy novels based on fictional worlds that had infected her brain in college. The series, Translations from Jorthus, is her chosen place for mental vacations. She tries to visit there as often as she can; bringing back tidbits that may entertain the hearts of others. Her books, The Dawnstone Tale and The Convergence, introduce the readers to an idyllic world of elemental magic and fairytale creatures, then plunges them into bigotry, betrayals, and war. Just an average, relaxing afternoon, right?  The third book in the cycle, The Excursion is in post-production and number four, The Illusion where many loose ends get tied up and gagged, will be done (hopefully) later this year.

A little Q & A with WRITE STAR Ruth:

1. What was your favorite chapter to write and why?

Actually, my favorite chapter is in the “work in progress,” book four. It is a scene of simple symbolism and character emotional growth. I call it The Waterfall scene.

2. What old/new author has garnered your attention the most?

I’ve read quite a few new authors that I have appreciated, many from my online writers groups. They all have such unique voices and styles. I’ve enjoyed writings from Dellani Oakes, Kat Marlow and Crimson Kildare, Heather and Christopher Dunbar, and Tracy Angelina Evans. There are so many more that I need to catch up on, though.

3. Which author do you feel your stories are most like?

I’m not sure, but one of my readers described them as Anne Rice meets Margaret Weis.

4. Did you learn anything from writing your book(s) and what was it?

I learned that I need better organizing skills, at least where computers are concerned.

5. What is your writing process? Do you follow a regular routine?

My novels developed over a long period of time, changing from short individual scene concepts to being plotted and molded into a singular timeline. So, it is hard to say if I have an exact writing process. I think the best portions of my work come from quiet imaginings that I draft initially as if I’m taking dictation or transcribing a movie I watched. That way, I can utilize the liberty of free forming ideas, but can edit the inspirations to fit the story where they are needed. Listening to music is an important part of that process.

6. Tell me about your muse?

In reality, my muse (as in what prompts me to keep writing) could be pinpointed as my best friend, Khanada, because I started writing these stories for her to read, and my desire to entertain her is still a motivating factor. But in a theoretical sense (as in something or someone that I wish to write about or “puts words in my pen”), my muse could be considered the characters that populate my fantasy worlds. Their stories and personalities constantly careen around in my head, begging me to spill them onto paper.

7. What was the hardest part of writing your book?

For me, one of the hardest parts was deciding how to structure the events to make a coherent story. Another part was gathering all the little files that I had made over the years, comparing them, and then eliminating the duplicates and picking the best ones. This was tedious, time consuming, and at times seemed endless.

8. Do you have any advice for other writers?

Write what you love. Tell the story that you want to read.

9. Are there certain characters you would like to work with again, or a theme/idea you’d love to work with?

Oh, yes. I have a couple of characters that demand I tell more of their stories. Evolution of the self as well as the world around the character is endlessly fascinating to me.

10. What has been the toughest criticism given to you as an author? What has been the best compliment?

The toughest criticisms, in my first draft of The Dawnstone Tale, were that my heroine was unbelievably gullible and a couple of scenes were so long and detailed that they brought the story to a halt. Needless to say, I did my best to address these issues in the second draft. I think the best compliment so far was recently from my father. He is not a reader of fantasy novels. In fact, he was averse to diving into mine for fear of not “getting it,” but he called me to tell me how much he was enjoying the stories. He said that while reading The Dawnstone, he had to slow down and read every word, discovering that this helped immerse him in the tale and made it a more intimate experience. He then went back to his old favorite detective novels and read them again, slower. He said my books increased his enjoyment of storytelling all around. That was a great compliment!

To keep up-to-date on this WRITE STAR and read more of her work, please follow RUTH DAVIS HAYS on:

Facebook:    https://www.facebook.com/the.world.of.jorthus

Website:       http://jorthusbooks.wordpress.com/

GoodReads: www.goodreads.com/author/show/2969621.Ruth_Davis_Hays

To learn about Ruth’s story click the book icon below:

ruths book

Please VISIT these other blogs today. RUTH has a different interview with each one on the hop. While you’re there take a moment to LIKE their page. They are all WRITE STARS in my book.  🙂  ENJOY

Juli Page Morgan: www.julipagemorgan.com/blog

Crimson Kildare and Kat Marlow: www.thrutheglass.net

Check back tomorrow as the FABULOUS BLOG HOP stops here again with another WRITE STAR to be premiered…. Author JULI PAGE MORGAN

The Fantastic Blog Hop: Introducing…

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DUVALL Krisen pic

KRISTEN DUVALL

Author Bio:

Kristen Duvall is a writer of tales both real and make believe. Originally a Midwestern girl, she now resides in Southern California with her boyfriend, her Great Dane and a her rescued calico kitty. She dabbles in horror, science fiction, fantasy, young adult and speculative fiction. Femmes du Chaos is her first foray into publishing her own work, but she has one YA novel and a novella completed and ready to be edited. She also owns a small publishing company called Fey Publishing where she publishes other people’s work because while it’s a lot of work, there’s nothing she’d rather be doing with her life.

The release of Femmes du Chaos has been delayed a little, but currently it’s expected to be finished at the end of August or early September 2013.

A little Q & A with the WRITE STAR  Kristen:

1.  What was your favorite chapter to write and why?

That’s hard to say since my novel isn’t fully finished. In my book of shorts, my favorite story to write? That changes by the day. Right now, it’s the one I’m currently writing. It tends to be the most recent story I’ve written unless I struggled with one for some reason (which happens often too).

2.  What old/new author has garnered your attention the most?

Stephen King, perhaps. I’ve read Stephen King for as long as I can remember, starting with “Carrie” when I was in middle school. I’ve read him longer than any author I can think of. A recent author I can’t get enough of? Neil Gaiman. Love his writing and I’ve even had a Twitter conversation with him not too long ago. I was thrilled.

3.  Which author do you feel your stories are most like?

Depends on what I’m writing. I recently re-read “The Illustrated Man” by Ray Bradbury and I’d like to think some of my ideas are in the same vein as his while also being different enough to be my own (I don’t write about other planets the way he does). I think my writing style is similar to his in some way… but I only wish I could write descriptions as well as he can. But some of his ideas and the stories he told made me go “that almost sounds like something I’d write” which is why he came to mind for this question.

4.  Did you learn anything from writing your book(s) and what was it?

I’ve learned just how much I hate editing. Kidding (mostly). I’ve learned I’m a lot more twisted than I thought I could be. There are stories in my book that I worry about my mom reading. I also learned that I seem to have certain themes that come out when I’m not even trying. Themes such as strong female characters, girls overcoming insecurities or standing up for themselves, etc.

5.  What is your writing process?  Do you follow a regular routine?

Not really. I don’t outline too much, though I always have a general idea of what I want to write and what’s going to happen. I like letting the story develop naturally though, so I never stick to an outline if other ideas are calling to me. It seems to work well for me.

6.  Tell me about your muse?

She’s one sick, twisted chick. Then again, my brain is a scary place. There’s a reason I write dark fiction… Most of the time, my ideas come to me in the form of nightmares and I love my nightmares for that reason. They’re so dark, so twisted and often more creative than anything I could ever come up with. I’m lucky to be able to lucid dream, so I can pull myself out of the dream and “watch” the story unfold knowing that it’s a dream. Even the ideas that don’t come from nightmares tend to be pretty sick and twisted. You should hear some of the conversations my boyfriend and I have. Many of those turn into stories as well.

7.  What was the hardest part of writing your book?

Telling my inner critic to shut up. I’m a perfectionist, I have always been too hard on myself. I want everyone to love what I do even as I know not everyone will like, much less love, what I do. I still read and scrutinize every line, beating myself up for silly mistakes. Anyone who knows me will tell you that I’m brutal to myself, an absolute monster to myself. Turning that sucker off hasn’t been easy, but I think I’m getting better.

8.  Do you have any advice for other writers?

Develop a thick skin. Anytime you put yourself out there, there will be bitter and mean people looking to tear you down because they know they could never do what you’re doing. Not everyone is going to like what you’ve done. It’s important that YOU like it. Don;t focus on the bad reviews or the trolls who look to tear you down. The bigger, more popular you are, the more people will set out to prove you suck. Don’t let it get to you. I know, easier said than done… But the quicker you can develop a thick skin, the better off you’ll be.

Learn to take constructive criticism and learn from it, but also learn to know the difference between someone trying to help and someone trying to beat you up. Pay attention to the first group, ignore the second group. Miserable, pathetic trolls aren’t worth your time.

9.  Are there certain characters you would like to work with again, or a theme/idea you’d love to work with?

Almost all of my short stories have a potential to be something bigger. In fact, I have so many potential novel ideas based on the characters in my stories, I might never run out of ideas. I also plan on writing a series for my novel, so I do in fact plan to write most of these characters again.

I have similar themes throughout my stories and it’s something that will probably never change. I will always write strong female characters. I don’t see it being any other way.

10.  What has been the toughest criticism given to you as an author?  What has been the best compliment?

I don’t know what the toughest criticism might be considering I’m really good about taking feedback in stride and accepting that I have to always work to improve my writing. I’ve had ignorant trolls that tried to tear me down for no reason, but that’s not the same thing. And honestly, it only made me more determined to finish my book. So honestly, I can’t think of anything that has really gotten to me that would be considered criticism. I know I’m not perfect. I find my inner critic is more harsh than any of the editors/beta readers/reviewers have been.

What’s the best compliment? While writing for an online writing contest, I wrote several stories from the same universe. One of my fellow competitors told me he wanted me to write the stories as a novel and that he’d wait in line to buy the book. It was the first time someone other than my friends and boyfriend had expressed interest in buying my work. He also told me he several times that I deserved to win the contest. I didn’t, but the fact that someone thought I was good enough to beat out 350 or so other writers meant the world to me.

To keep up-to-date on this WRITE STAR and read more of her work, please follow her on: 

Facebook:    https://www.facebook.com/KristenDuvallWriter

Website:       http://www.kristenduvall.com/

Blog:             http://www.kristenduvall.com/blog.html

Twitter:         https://twitter.com/kristen_duvall

GoodReads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5392198.Kristen_Duvall

To learn more about Kristen’s latest story click the book icon below:

Please VISIT these other blogs today. KRISTEN has a different interview with each one on the hop. While you’re there take a moment to LIKE their page. They are all WRITE STARS in my book.  🙂  ENJOY

Juli Page Morgan: www.julipagemorgan.com/blog

Crimson Kildare and Kat Marlow: www.thrutheglass.net

Check back tomorrow as the FABULOUS BLOG HOP stops here again with another WRITE STAR to be premiered…. Author RUTH DAVIS HAYES

The Fantastic Blog Hop: Conversations

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TODAY from 4:00pm til 6:00pm catch WRITE STARS:   Rachel Rueben, Karen Vaughan, Ruth Davis Hays, Crimson Kildare, Kat Marlow  Dellani Oakes, Juli Page Morgan, Stephanie Hussey, Kristen Duvall & Karina Gioertz LIVE on:

DELLANI’s TEA TIME

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/rrradio/2013/08/12/rfk-dellanis-tea-time

Join the WRITE STARS as they discuss themselves, their books and whatever else comes through the tea and/or coffee press OR CALL IN and ask a question.

Don’t forget the tour starts & the bus let’s out the first WRITE STAR on:  

August 15th

Visit each BLOG and FOLLOW the authors as they travel around:

Rachel Rueben: http://www.rachelrueben.com

Dellani Oakes: http://writersanctuary.blogspot.com/

Kristen Duvall: http://www.kristenduvall.com/blog.html

Juli Morgan:  www.julipagemorgan.com/blog

Karen Vaughan: www.karenwritesmurder.wordpress.com

Stephanie Hussey: https://sahussey1.wordpress.com/