Showing posts with label Author Interview. Show all posts

Wednesday, January 25, 2017

Debdatta Dasgupta January 25, 2017 3

Interview with Tonya Kappes, Author A Ghostly Reunion

A Ghostly Reunion

by Tonya Kappes

on Tour January 16 - February 17, 2017

Synopsis:

A Ghostly Reunion

Proprietor of the Eternal Slumber Funeral Home, Emma Lee can see, hear, and talk to ghosts of murdered folks. And when her high school nemesis is found dead, Jade Lee Peel is the same old mean girl—trying to come between Emma Lee and her hot boyfriend, Sheriff Jack Henry Ross, all over again.
There’s only one way for Emma Lee to be free of the trash-talking ghost—solve the murder so the former prom queen can cross over.
But the last thing Jade Lee wants is to leave the town where she had her glory days. And the more Emma Lee investigates on her own, the more complicated Miss Popularity turns out to be. Now Emma Lee will have to work extra closely with her hunky lawman to get to the twisty truth.

Book Details:
Genre: Cozy Mystery, Paranormal
Published by: HarperCollins / Witness
Publication Date: December 27th 2016
Number of Pages: 352
ISBN: 006246695X (ISBN13: 9780062466952)
Series: Ghostly Southern Mysteries #5
Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

An Interview with the Author:

When did you first realize that you wanted to be a writer/ a storyteller?

It wasn't until I'd had two college degrees, one master's degree, four small boys, two dogs and my husband did I even think about it. I was in my mid-thirties and hosting my book club. Like most readers, I'd gone to the bookstore and picked up ten books because I couldn't decide what book to suggest for book club. My husband noticed my spending on books had surpassed my spending on shoes. He picked up one of those ten books before my friends arrived and actually read a few pages. Now...he's not a reader. He sat the book down and said that I could tell a better story than the written words in that book. I laughed him off. Hours later I was telling one of my many stories to my book club friends and one of them said that I should write a book.

Ahem.

That got my attention. Two people told me that in a few hours. That's when the idea of actually sitting down to write a book started to fester within me. The very next day I started handwriting my very first novel under an Oak tree at my son's pee-wee football practice.

What inspires you to write?

My readers. They really do. I set out to write ONE book. After I started getting mail telling me that I helped them escape from the reality of life, it touched me in ways I never knew. I'm very connected to my readers. I even host my own reader mystery weekend on a real train every October. They keep me going.

How did you come up with the idea for your current story?

A Ghostly Reunion is the fifth book in my Ghostly Southern Mystery Series. When I started thinking about a new series, I wanted to pick an amateur sleuth that wasn't the typical cozy mystery crafty sleuth. Growing up, a friend's family owned the local funeral home and we'd play in there. I got to thinking about how funny a mystery based around an undertaker would be and it was, as we say in the south, all she wrote!

Are there some stories tucked away in some drawer that was written before and never saw the light of the day?

Of course! They would probably blow up if I took them out of that box, but I just can't do away with them. I look at them as stepping stones to the success I've had so far. They are sorta like stretch marks....

Tell us about your writing process.

I let an idea fester in my head for a few days and start writing down ideas in a notebook. Once I feel like I've got a good idea, I will sit down and write a synopsis. From that synopsis, I start to write the book from beginning to end.

What is your favorite scene in the book? Why?

My favorite scene is when Emma Lee's sister comes to visit her in the end. They've had a very rocky relationship and it's sorta shocking to my readers.

Did any of your characters inherit some of your own quirks?

Every character I write about has some part of me.

What is the best piece of advice you have received, as a writer, till date?

Write the next one. Move on from the one you just finished and start the next one.

Read an Excerpt:

Sexy isn’t a firm fanny in a thong, ladies.”
Hettie Bell didn’t seem so sexy in her hot pink leggings and matching top as she gasped for breath in her downward dog position in the middle of Sleepy Hollow, Kentucky. Her butt stuck straight up in the air, right there on display for everyone to see. Her black, chin-length bob was falling out of the small ponytail on both sides and her bangs hung down in her eyes.
“Sexy is confidence and self-acceptance. It’s exactly what yoga provides.”
Hettie Bell curled up on her tiptoes with her palms planted on one of the mats she provided for us. The rickety old floor of the gazebo, in the middle of the town square, groaned as we all tried to mimic her pose. “Yes!” Beulah Paige Bellefry hollered out like we were in the first pew of the Sleepy Hollow Baptist Church getting a good Bible beating from Pastor Brown himself.
“Amen to a good pose!”
Beulah continued to adjust her feet and hands each time she started to slip. If she wasn’t a bit overweight, I’d say it was her eighties silk sweat suit that was slicker than cat’s guts giving her problems. Or it could’ve been those pearls around her wrist, neck and ears weighing her down. Beulah never took off those pearls. She said pearls were a staple for a Southern gal.
“You said it, sister,” Mary Anna Hardy gasped. She teetered side to side, nearly knocking into Granny. Her sweat left streaks down her makeup. Who on earth got up this early and put makeup on to do yoga? Mary Anna Hardy, that’s who.
“God help us!”
“That’s it.”
I pushed back off my heels and crossed my legs, staring at all the Auxiliary women’s derrieres at my eye level.
“I’m here to do some relaxing, not Sunday school.”
Sleepy Hollow was smack-dab in the middle of the Bible Belt and if God wasn’t thrown in our conversations, then we weren’t breathing. But the last thing I wanted to think about was my butt stuck up to the high heavens and everyone up in the Great Beyond looking down upon me.

Author Bio:

Tonya Kappes has written more than fifteen novels and four novellas, all of which have graced numerous bestseller lists including USA Today. Best known for stories charged with emotion and humor and filled with flawed characters, her novels have garnered reader praise and glowing critical reviews. She lives with her husband, two very spoiled schnauzers, and one ex-stray cat in northern Kentucky. Now that her boys are teenagers, Tonya writes full-time but can be found at all of her guys’ high school games with a pencil and paper in hand.

Catch Up with Tonya Kappes on her Website, Twitter, & Facebook

Tour Participants:

Giveaway:

This is a rafflecopter giveaway hosted by Partners In Crime Virtual Book Tours for Tonya Kappes and Witness Impulse. There will be 1 US winner of one PRINTED set of The Ghostly Southern Mysteries #1-5 by Tonya Kappes. The giveaway begins on January 15th and runs through February 18th, 2017.

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For a Chance to win a Kindle ENTER HERE!

Get More Great Reads at Partners In Crime Virtual Book Tours

Thursday, August 4, 2016

Debdatta Dasgupta August 04, 2016 1

Interview with Lynne Constantine, Author of Veritas Deception

About the Author:

Lynne is a twitter addicted fiction writer always working on her next book. She is the coauthor of Learn More About CIRCLE DANCE on Amazon, a family saga spanning three generations, that received an endorsement from Olympia Dukakis. She is also a social media consultant and speaker, working with authors to build their brand platforms. Lynne teaches at various workshops and has spoken at the Thrillerfest conference in New York. She is a monthly contributor to SUSPENSE MAGAZINE, and a contributing editor to THE BIG THRILL magazine.

Website I Facebook I Twitter

An Interview with the Author:

When did you first realize that you wanted to be a writer/ a storyteller
I’ve liked to make up stories for as long as I can remember. From inventing complicated histories for my dolls, to sitting around with friends telling ghost stories, I’ve always found it fun. It didn’t occur to me to actually become an author until after I finished college and graduate school and started working in the corporate world. I started writing then and have never looked back.

What inspires you to write?
A story or theme will take hold of me and I feel compelled to develop it.

How did you come up with the idea for your current story?
I used to commute from Baltimore to Washington for my marketing job which gave me a lot of time to think. The idea for THE VERITAS DECEPTION came to me during one of those long rides home when I realized how susceptible we all are to the images and messages inundating us every day. I began to wonder what it would be like to write a story where those advertising and marketing messages were part of an orchestrated campaign with a larger, darker, intention.

Are there some stories tucked away in some drawer that was written before and never saw the light of the day?
Yes, there have been a few. My sister and collaborated on our first book, CIRCLE DANCE. Before that we had started a book about three best friends that never made it past the outlining stage. Then we also did some research for a prequel to CIRCLE DANCE which would have taken place during World War II but again, it never made it past the research and outlining stage.

Tell us about your writing process.
It varies depending on what’s going on in my life. THE VERITAS DECEPTION evolved over many years, but in the past two, it was written mainly in coffee shops or waiting rooms as I drove my kids around to activities and appointments. Now that I work from home, I begin my day with writing and set aside either a block of time, or a word count requirement – depending on the deadlines I’m facing.

Did any of your characters inherit some of your own quirks?
Not really. I tried very hard to let them develop their own personalities.

Do you read? Who are your favourite authors and how have they influenced your writing style?
I have always loved to read and have been prodded by my friends on more than one vacation to get my nose out of a book. My favorite suspense author is Dean Koontz. The first time I picked up one of his books, I couldn’t put it down and when I finished, went out and got my hands on all of his books. His writing made me realize that you can combine a thriller with a deeper message or meaning. I also love David Morrell, who has become a friend and is one of the most gifted and versatile writers I know.

What is the best piece of advice you have received, as a writer, till date?
To keep writing. Not to get stuck on the book you’re pitching, but to write the next one, and the next one, and the next.

What is the best piece of advice you would give to someone that wants to get into writing?
Be prepared to be in it for the long haul before you necessarily see commercial success. Treat it like a profession and continue to work on improving your craft by finding good mentors and teachers.

What would be the Dream Cast for you book if it was to be turned into a movie?
Bradley Cooper as Jack Logan, Natalie Portman as Taylor Phillips, and Al Pacino as Damon Crosse.

How do you spend your free time? Do you have a favorite place to go and unwind?
We live near the beach so I take daily walks on the beach, I take my book and coffee and sit on the beach. I spend time at home with the family and watch too much t.v.

Can you share with us something off your bucket list?
To spend some time in Prague and Italy

What do you have in store next for your readers?
I’m working on Book 2 in THE VERITAS DECEPTION series. My sister and I recently finished a domestic thriller that we’re currently pitching to agents.

Is there anything else you’d like to share with your readers?
I love to hear from readers and am always happy to interact with a book club if it’s local, or if not, via Skype.

Thank you for hosting me!

About the Book:

There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death. ~ Proverbs 14:21

Days after U.S. Senator Malcolm Phillips changes his vote on a bill he sponsored, he is murdered and his death disguised as an accident. He contacted one man before he died: investigative journalist, Jack Logan. He left Jack a single clue to help him uncover the truth and keep Phillip’s widow, Taylor, safe. But safe from whom?

Jack and Taylor’s desperate hunt leads them to a vast network of corrupt authority controlling everything from social media and television programming to law enforcement and US legislation. The key to unraveling a complex web of lies is a set of ancient relics, dating back to the time of Christ. But what do these relics have to do with a senator’s death?

Allies turn to foes when Jack and Taylor discover that those closest to them are part of the conspiracy, and that they too have been manipulated. How long has a puppet master been pulling their strings—and will Jack and Taylor trust the right people long enough to win what becomes a colossal battle for souls?

Genre: Thriller

Published by: Sailor Dance Publishing

Publication Date: August 2016

Number of Pages: 382

ISBN: 0997694211 (ISBN13: 9780997694215)

Purchase Links:

Amazon I Barnes & Noble I Goodreads

Giveaway
This is a rafflecopter giveaway hosted by Partners In Crime Virtual Book Tours for Lynne Constantine. There will be 4 US winners. There will be FOUR (4) different prizes for this tour. Each winner will receive only one prize. The prizes are as noted on the rafflecopter. This is subject to change without notification. The giveaway begins on August 1st and runs through August 30th, 2016.

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Click here to view the 'The Veritas Deception by Lynne Constantine' Tour Participants

Saturday, January 31, 2015

Debdatta Dasgupta January 31, 2015 0

In Conversation with Tendai Huchu, Author of The Maestro, the Magistrate and the Mathematician

Tendai Huchu’s first novel, The Hairdresser of Harare, was released in 2010 to critical acclaim, and has been translated into German, French and Italian. His short fiction and nonfiction have appeared in The Manchester Review, Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, Interzone, Gutter, AfroSF, Wasafiri, Warscapes, The Africa Report, Kwani? and numerous other publications. In 2013 he received a Hawthornden Fellowship and a Sacatar Fellowship. He was shortlisted for the 2014 Caine Prize. His new novel is The Maestro, The Magistrate, & The Mathematician.

Website I Twitter I Goodreads

I cannot believe I did not have you over my blog sooner. Well, better late than never… So, how have you been doing?

Thanks for having me, Debdatta. I’ve been great, doing a bit of this and that, you know, trying to save the world one tale at a time.

Tell us, when did you first realize that you wanted to be a writer/ a storyteller?

I think it’s more a gradual process than anything. You tell a story, here and there, someone likes it and you think, ‘Great I can do something other people enjoy,’ because at the core of it, you’re really telling stories you yourself want to hear. Folks indulge you, and before you know it, you’re this 30-something year old dude, still making stuff up.

What inspires you to write?

Real life – to be fair, there’s a lot more crazier shit out there in the real world, than anything that can be conjured up in a book. But I enjoy literature as an art form, so other writers inspire me. The inspiration comes from just existing and checking stuff out.

What was the general response to ‘The Hairdresser of Harare’ and ‘An Untimely Love’?

Readers are very kind, especially to a writer still trying to find his feet.

How did you come up with the idea for your current story?

I don’t want to sound all mystical or hocus-pocussy, but it just came to me. Ideas are there, churning away in your subconscious, you just have to be a little patient and a little receptive to them.

What is your favorite scene in the book? Why?

The book works as an integrated whole for me. I couldn’t pick one scene over any other.

Did any of your characters inherit some of your own quirks?

Inevitably some of you filters into the work, unintentionally. But I suppose I can point to a character called Tendai, who has a very brief cameo in the book. He’s a bit awkward, drinks more than he really should, and generally makes an ass of himself.

Tell us about your writing process.

I wake up at 7am, have breakfast, then I work till 10:30. After that I run/cycle/walk for 1 ½ to 2 hours. I come back, have lunch. Depending on how the work is going I may write a bit more, or rewrite and revise. There’s a lot of flexibility in that structure allowing me to do important stuff like Twitter or Facebook or generally procrastinate and ruminate over my unappreciated genius and/or world peace.

What is your most interesting writing quirk?

I generally loath my work after it has been published. Each sentence feels like a step away from the perfect idea that was there on the blank first page. What keeps me going is the naïve hope that the next story might just be a little bit better.

Do you read? Who are your favourite authors and how have they influenced your writing style?

I read all the time. You can’t even contemplate being a writer if you don’t read – forget it.
Favourite authors – really hard coz I read so much, and am at the stage where I really don’t know what I get from whom. But if I had to pick:
Dostoevsky and Jim Thompson – insane psychological exposition.
David Mitchell – breadth of imagination and structural prowess
David Foster Wallace – need I say more

What is the best piece of advice you have received, as a writer, till date?

No one knows what they’re doing in this game, we’re all winging it.

What is the best piece of advice you would give to someone that wants to get into writing?

Don’t do it, get a real job instead. You’ll be a lot happier that way. However if you must – then read a lot first and learn from the masters. The best creative writing tutors are in your local library.

What would be the Dream Cast for you book if it was to be turned into a movie?

Idris Elba – The Magistrate
James Franco – The Maestro
Michael B. Jordan – The Mathematician
Chiwetel Ejiofor - Alfonso

If you were to be stranded on the famous deserted island, what three things would you carry?

Paper and pen and a cool sunhat.

How do you spend your free time? Do you have a favorite place to go and unwind?

I play a bit of chess, walk or cycle a lot, usually along Union Canal in Edinburgh.

Can you share with us something off your bucket list?

I wanna see the Lalibela churches in Ethiopia.

Tell us three fun facts about yourself.

I have restless leg syndrome, so my legs run about while I’m asleep.
Addicted to marshmallows, I can’t stop myself whenever I get a packet I keep going till it’s empty.
I’m afraid of the dark… really afraid.

What do you have in store next for your readers?

Working on a scifi novel. Doing more short fiction in the noir and literary genres. Varying it up a bit.

Is there anything else you’d like to share with your readers?

I’m sure they’ve had enough of me by now. Thanks a lot, Debdatta :)

Three very different men struggle with thoughts of belonging, loss, identity and love as they attempt to find a place for themselves in Britain. The Magistrate tries to create new memories and roots, fusing a wandering exploration of Edinburgh with music. The Maestro, a depressed, quixotic character, sinks out of the real world into the fantastic world of literature. The Mathematician, full of youth, follows a carefree, hedonistic lifestyle, until their three universes collide.

In this carefully crafted, multi-layered novel, Tendai Huchu, with his inimitable humour, reveals much about the Zimbabwe story as he draws the reader deep into the lives of the three main characters.

Goodreads I Amazon

Read My Review of :

- The Hairdresser of Harare by Tendai Huchu

- An Untimely Love by Tendai Huchu