The Fantastic Blog Hop: Introducing…

WRITE STAR

RACHEL RUEBEN

Author Bio:

Rachel Rueben went to school to become an administrative assistant but instead, wound up an author.  In her defense, she tried freelance writing, virtual assisting, and blogging to pay the bills, but creating worlds was her one and only passion.

This past summer, Rachel entered the sacred order of authorhood with the release of her first novel “Hag” which made it to #10 on the Amazon’s Women’s and Girl’s Literature list.

To find out what Rachel is up to you can check out her new site at: http://www.rachelrueben.com

A little Q & A with WRITE STAR Rachel:

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

My favorite chapter was chapter 8 because it was the part where my heroine has to accept her new life as a vampire.

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

I would say Mark Twain he was simple and honest in his work.  He taught without preaching down to the reader.

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

I have no clue, I would like to believe my work is a culmination of all the books I’ve read.

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

I learned to not force things and definitely not to chase trends.

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

Yes, I generally write in the morning and  afternoon.  I also make sure all my chores and errands are done before I begin.   I don’t want any excuses .

6.  Tell me about your muse?

My muse is a funny little creature that likes to wake me up in the middle of the night with the darndest stories.  And when I’m wide awake she loses the ability to speak.

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

My book was an abandoned work, a starter novel if you will.  So the hard part was picking up the pieces and reworking the project.

8.  Do you have any advice for other writers?

Yeah, this takes time as with any other career, you need to learn, practice and even explore.  Also, the business aspect is just as important as the artistic part.

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

I would love to work with Apollonia, she was probably one of the most outrageous characters I’ve ever dreamed up.  I would like to go into her past and see what made her what she is in Eternal Bond.

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

The toughest criticism was when someone called me an amateur which I was at the time, but what surprised me most was that it came from another author.  Needless to say, I was disappointed that someone felt the need to do that.

The best compliment was when someone said they loved my book so much that they wanted to give it to their daughter.

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

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

Website:   http://www.rachelrueben.com

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/RachelRueben

Blog: http://www.writingbytheseatofmypants.com

GoodReads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5786176.Rachel_Rueben

To learn more of Rachel’s stories click here:  http://rachelrueben.com/my-books/

    Coming Soon in 2013    

I interviewed with each one these amazing authors.

Check out their blogs to learn more about me.

 

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

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

Ruth Davis Hays:  http://jorthusbooks.wordpress.com/

Juli Morgan:  www.julipagemorgan.com/blog

Karen Vaughan: www.karenwritesmurder.wordpress.com

Karina Gioertz: www.friedgatortail.wordpress.com

 

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The Fantastic Blog Hop: Introducing…

WRITE STAR

KAREN H. VAUGHAN

Author Bio:

Karen H. Vaughan lives in Peterborough Ontario with her husband Jim and a cat named Sugar. She is the mom of a 23 year old daughter and four grown step children and a 3 year old grandson named Ike. DEAD COMIC STANDING is her second novel. Her first novel DEAD ON ARRIVAL garnered praise from friends, family and online gamers.  She also enjoys doing crafts and other hobbies. Her third  book and sequel to DEAD ON ARRIVAL  is called OVER HER DEAD BODY. DAYTONA DEAD is the third in that series and was released in May 2013. Other than writing Karen loves to read, do crafts and play online games.Currently she co-hosts an internet radio show with Dellani Oakes and will be hosting WRITERS ROUND TABLE starting January the 14th.  She has a quirky sense of humor and show this in her mysteries

A little Q & A with WRITE STAR Karen:

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

I liked Chapter 7 of Daytona Dead because Laura (my protag got to face off with the annoying cop Dave Meecham and basically put him in his place. It was a very comical moment in the story after she had to deal with her exes death.

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

My fave author has become Janet Evanovich. I love her casual style and how she can pull off comedy in a murder investigation.

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

I think I write like Janet Evanovich and I have been told the same. Our characters are quirky and sarcastic and I think we both love the humor aspect. My stories are 90% comic relief.

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

That I am getting more and more warped and sarcastic with every book I write.

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

No not really; I seem to write when the flash of brilliance hits me. I try to sit down twice a week when I choose to take a break from my real life and create. Sometimes it feels forced and I don’t do my best work

6.  Tell me about your muse?

My editor seems to play that role and when she doesn’t think I am writing enough she sends me pictures in my emails of stick figures hold guns to the heads of other stick figures write the $%^& novel—she even personalized that one on a t-shirt—or QUIT PIDDLING AND WRITE !  My muse is a task-master!

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

I hate editing! That task a necessary evil.

8.  Do you have any advice for other writers?

Just keep to the writing. Don’t let people or rejection   letters discourge you.

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

I would love to work with the characters from DEAD COMIC STANDING again. It was a fun book to write. I got to mix the comedy with the acts of a serial killer.

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

My editing sucks and that I should fire my editor. However, people think my writing is hilarious.

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

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Karen-H-Vaughan/432730506846324     AND

https://www.facebook.com/FansOfOverHerDeadBody?notif_t=fbpage_fan_invite

Website: www.karenvaughanbooks.com

Blog:        www.karenwritesmurder.wordpress.com

Twitter:   http://www.twitter.com/karenvwrites

GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1378692.Karen_Vaughan

To read Karen’s story click the book icon below:

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

The Fantastic Blog Hop: Introducing…

WRITE STAR

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:

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

Ruth Davis Hays:  http://jorthusbooks.wordpress.com/

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

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

Karina Gioertz: www.friedgatortail.wordpress.com

Karen Vaughan:www.karenwritesmurder.com

Kristen Duvall: www.kristenduvall.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…

WRITE STAR

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

Ruth Davis Hays:  http://jorthusbooks.wordpress.com/

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

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

Karina Gioertz: www.friedgatortail.wordpress.com

Karen Vaughan:www.karenwritesmurder.com

Kristen Duvall: www.kristenduvall.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