Marilyn Meredith

Marilyn Meredith Chases Spirit Shapes

Marilyn Meredith is the author of over thirty published novels, including the award winning Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery series. She borrows a lot from where she lives in the Southern Sierra for the town of Bear Creek and the surrounding area, including the nearby Tule River Indian Reservation. She does like to remind everyone that she is writing fiction. Marilyn is a member of EPIC, three chapters of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and on the board of the Public Safety Writers of America. Visit her at http://fictionforyou.com and follow her blog at http://marilymeredith.blogspot.com/

Could you please start by telling us a little about yourself?

I’ve been writing stories since I was a kid, but my first book wasn’t published until I was a grandmother. I’ve seen a lot of change in the way authors write and publish: from typewriters and carbon paper to computers and sending manuscripts in as attachments; querying my mail to email queries. Believe me the new ways are much easier.

Do you plan all your characters out before you start a story or do they develop as you write?

Because I write series mysteries, I know my main characters very well. Of course I always introduce new characters and yes, I plan a lot about them ahead of time, but as I write, they often change—even to the point of who I thought was the murderer was wrong, and it is someone else.

How much research do you do for your books? Have you found any cool tidbits in your research?

For my Deputy Tempe Crabtree series I’ve done ride-alongs with law enforcement officers, examined a resident deputy’s truck and equipment, learned a lot about Indian legends, done some exploring on our local Indian reservation, and I always ask a lot of questions. Probably the coolest tidbit I’ve learned is about the Hairy Man, a Big Foot type creature who lives in the mountains on the reservation. I’ve seen pictographs of him, his wife, and child in a rock shelter.

Do you write full time? What did you do before you became a writer? Or Still do?

Yes, I consider myself a full-time writer—and I was even when I had my last job which was living in and running my licensed facility for developmentally disabled women—a job I loved, by the way. My residents went to a sheltered workshop all day and in-between doing laundry etc., I wrote.  I’ve been around for a while and I was a telephone operator, and a teacher in a pre-school for developmentally disabled kids, a day-care center teacher, and a pre-school teacher for non-English speaking kids. (By the time the semester was over they all spoke English.) No matter what I was doing, I always found time to write.

What is your writing process? Do you outline, fly by the seat of your pants or a combination of both?

First, I always start thinking about the story. What will Tempe be involved with—what kind of crime, how will it affect her and her husband. As ideas become clearer, I start jotting them down. I don’t outline, but I do make a lot of notes. Before I know everything, I start writing. As I write I jot down more notes about where I think the story is going, so it kind of a combination of plotting and going by the seat of my pants.

Do you have a ritual when it comes to writing? Example….get coffee, blanket, paper, pen and a comfy place.

I do most of my writing in the early morning hours at my computer in my office. Usually I have a cup of Chai latte, or will get one when I need to take a break.

Current Release Details:

In Spirit Shapes, ghost hunters discover a dead body in a haunted house. When Deputy Tempe Crabtree arrives on the scene she soon realizes the house not only is inhabited by ghosts but also evil spirits.

When you have writer's block how do you break free?

To tell the truth, I never have true writer’s block. Sometimes I have a bit of trouble getting started, but I always have something that needs done, could be editing whatever I’ve written previously or perhaps some sort of promotion.

What would be the best way for readers contact you? Do you have a website? Email address? How can readers find out more about you and your books?

I love to hear from readers. My email address is mmeredith@ocsnet.net and yes, I have a website where you can read about all my books and me: http://fictionforyou.com/.  My blog is http://marilynmeredith.blogspot.com/ and I have guest authors, write about what I’m doing, give writing tips, and anything that I feel like writing about. I also have a monthly newsletter. If you’d like to subscribe, just email me and let me know. I’m also on Facebook under my name, Marilyn Meredith.

Do you belong to a critique group? If so, how does this help or hinder you?

I adore my critique group and have belonged to the same one for years. I consider them my first editors. They write on copies of my chapter, tell me what I need to fix etc. I never defend anything, but take what they’ve done home and work on the chapter. Sometimes I do exactly what was suggested, other times I do something totally different, and once in a while, ignore what was said or written. Most of the time, they are spot on.

Contest:   Two people who comment on this blog post will be chosen at random by Marilyn to receive a copy of Raging Water, the previous Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery.

 

Ghost hunters stumble upon a murdered teen in a haunted house. Deputy Tempe Crabtree's investigation pulls her into a whirlwind of restless spirits, good and evil, intertwined with the past and the present, and demons and angels at war.

 

Mundania Press LLC / Amazon

 

Barri Bryan

Barri Bryan’s Heart Lays Deep Within Texas

Barri Bryan is the pen name for Billie Houston. She acquired a pseudonym at the behest of adult children when they discovered a steamy excerpt from one of her romances at the web site of a publisher.

Barri grew up during the thirties. Her formative years were spent in a small town in West Texas. Life was simple then. She could accept what was without questioning what would be, or wishing for what would never come to pass. She sensed there was a world beyond my limited horizon. but it seemed remote and far away. That horizon began to expand and move nearer when she discovered reading and books.

Barri’s dad taught her to read before she started to school; thus began her journey. In the seventh grade, she found the Bronte sisters and fell in love with romantic novels. Since then, she’s been an avid fan of happy-ever-tales.

Today Barri is a wife, a mother of three, and a grandmother to seven wonderful grandchildren. She’s also a former teacher and educator and a published author with over twenty novels, four books of poetry, numerous essays and short stories, and one how-to-write book to my credit.

Barri has a graduate degree in Educational Psychology from the University of Texas, and holds six valid teacher certifications.

Barri’s writing career began late in life, writing her first book in 1990. Her first romance was published in 1998 and writes the kind of books she enjoys reading --- romantic tales about relationships; stories that explore feelings and probe emotions. The plots revolve around ordinary people caught in extraordinary circumstances and faced with difficult decisions.

Barri likes poetry, George Strait’s music, old movies and Earl Grey tea. Her many hobbies are reading, quilting, sewing, knitting, crocheting, taking long walks, and growing house plants. 

Could you please start by telling us a little about yourself.

I can’t remember a time I didn’t want to be a writer. I am an octogenarian. I am not an extraordinary person, but my life’s journey has been extraordinary in many ways. I have stood on the sidelines of history and watched a rapidly changing world’s passing, panoramic parade. My personal life has embraced change, struggle, difficulty, and an enduring love. I’ve had my share of happiness. There has been tragedy too. I have known misfortune and heartbreak. I have gambled and often lost, but sometimes won. There are so many things I would go back and change, if I could. I have pretty well come to terms with both my capabilities and my limitations.

How much research do you do for your books? Have you found any cool tidbits in your research?

I do a tremendous amount of research, especially when I write historicals. I am always finding tidbits that interest me. When I researched for my novel Renegade, I discovered that Texas men in the 1830’s didn’t wear cowboy boots. Most of them wore moccasins. A few wore brogans. When I researched for my novel Changeless as the Heavens, set in 1944, I was surprised to learn that during WWII gasoline was rationed, not to save gasoline, but to save tires that were made of rubber, which was a scarce commodity. My research for my novel Wish on the Moon revealed that in 1906 it was considered disgraceful for a woman to go out in public without wearing a corset under her other clothing. My WIP is set in 1966. There were no seat belts in cars in 1966.

What main genre do you write in?

I write romances. Many of my romances are historicals set during a specific decade in the twentieth century. I write some contemporaries, and some historicals set in the nineteenth century.

I also write verse. My poetry is eclectic. I write about what speaks to my heart and quickens my insight.

What are your hobbies?

 I enjoy reading.  I like both fiction and nonfiction. I’m an avid Texas History buff. I read anything I can find about the history of The Lone Star State. I enjoy Regency Romances if they are historically correct and well written. I’m a fan of C. S. Lewis. I read Victorian poetry. I especially like Christina Rosette and Emily Dickinson.  I love taking long walks. That’s when I do much of my planning and problem solving for my writing. I raise house plants and herbs.  I love crafts and handwork. I knit, crochet, and quilt.

If you had to choose one person to have dinner with, who would it be? And why?

If I had to choose one person to have dinner with it would be Christina Rossetti. Of all the poetical voices that echo down through the ages, none rings more sweetly in my ear or resounds with more clearly through my senses than this Victorian spinster’s lyrical compositions. Oh, the questions I would like to ask that lady, not only about her work, but about her personal life also.

What is your writing process? Do you outline, fly by the seat of your pants or a combination of both?

The first thing I do is make character sketches of my main characters. I need to know them well before I begin writing about them. Then I outline, by chapter, the story I have in mind. After that, I do much of my research for the story. This gives me a feeling of where I am and where I want to go. I don’t always go in that direction. I have been known to do a 180 degree turn and take another path. Would it be safe to say I combine the two?

Current Release Details:

My current release is entitled For Jenny’s Sake.” It is a contemporary romance set in a small town in South Texas. It’s published by Desert Breeze Publishing.

Can you please give us a sneak peek at any of your upcoming books?

I have a book titled Renegade that is scheduled to be published by Desert Breeze Publishing in January of 2014.The story is set in the little village of San Antonio de Bexar the year after the fall of the Alamo.

What is the best and worst advice you have ever received?

The best writing advice I ever received was from the teacher whose name I can’t recall. She was the instructor in an adult education class I took several years ago. She began her class by saying, “Be honest with yourself so you can be honest with your readers.” I thought that was a strange opening statement for the teacher of a course titled: How to Write Short Fiction. She wasn’t speaking of literal truths, but personal truths. Throughout much of my writing career, I have tried to stay true to that premise. Memorable, moving books are not written from a sense of anything but the writer’s deepest and most honest convictions.

The worst advice I ever had was, “Sit down and write what you feel. As you move along, the story will unfold in your mind. All you have to do is write it down.” Maybe that works for some. It doesn’t for me. I need structure and purpose.

What was your first published work and when was it published?

My first published book was titled A love Like Mine. It was published in 1998 by new Concepts Publishing.

What would be the best way for readers contact you? Do you have a website? Email address? MySpace site? Blog? Message Board? Group?

Ø Website: http://barribryan.com/

Ø Contact me: http://barribryan.com/contact.php?firstname=Barri&lastname=Bryan

Ø Blog: http://barribryan.com/blog/

Ø Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BarrriBryan?ref=hl

Ø Twitter: https://twitter.com/texpoet

Ø Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/louhou85/

 

Eight years ago Erin Harrow left her hometown in the wake of shame and scandal. She’s back now, as Erin Bennett the rich widow of recently deceased billionaire Sheldon Bennett. She’s returned to claim what is hers and to set the record straight on some very important issues.

Gabe Harrow has never recovered from his ex-wife’s flight to oblivion, and he’s never forgiven her for disappearing without leaving a trace. She’s back now and determined to take from him the one thing that gives his life meaning, his daughter Jenny. But then, she’s Erin’s daughter too. 

DesertBreezePublishing / Amazon

 

Margaret Tanner

Margaret Tanner Brings

Readers Frontier Australia

 

 Margaret Tanner is a multi-published Australian author. She loves delving into the pages of history as she carries out research for her historical romance novels, and prides herself on being historically accurate. No book is too old or tattered for her to trawl through, no museum too dusty, or cemetery too overgrown. Many of her novels have been inspired by true events, with one being written around the hardships and triumphs of her pioneering ancestors in frontier Australia.

As part of her research she has visited the World War 1 battlefields in France and Belgium, a truly poignant experience.

She won the 2007 and 2009 Author of the Year at AussieAuthors.com. A Rose In-No-Man’s Land won an un-published manuscript award. Her novel Frontier Wife won the Best Historical Romance Novel at the 2010 Readers Favorite Award, and another novel, Wild Oats was a 2011 Finalist in the EPIC awards.

In 2012, an unpublished manuscript was short listed in English publisher, ChocLit’s, Find an Australian Star, competition.

Margaret is married with three grown up sons, and two gorgeous little granddaughters.

Outside of her family and friends, writing is her passion.

 

Could you please start by telling us a little about yourself?

I live in Australia, and I guess the best way to describe my writing is to call it historical fiction with romantic elements. I am multi-published with three different publishers, The Wild Rose Press, Whiskey Creek Press and Books We Love Ltd.

 

Please tell us your latest news!

My novel, A Rose In No-Man’s Land, which is set against a background of World War I, has recently been released by The Wild Rose Press.

 

Please describe your writing environment.

I write my very first draft in long hand in a notebook, so I can really do it anywhere that I happen to be. The only thing I need is silence. I can’t work with noise. Even soft background music disturbs my flow of words.

 

Do you plan all your characters out before you start a story or do they develop as you write?

I never plan anything. I have a vague idea about my characters before I start, but they really evolve as the story progresses.

 

How much research do you do for your books? Have you found any cool tidbits in your research?

I do a lot of research for my books, and it helps that I like history. I can’t stand inaccuracies in stories, so I try as hard as I can not to have them in mine.  There is nothing worse, in my humble opinion, than to start reading a story then find some historical aspect is incorrect. If that happens, I don’t finish the book, and I never buy that author’s work again.

 

What main genre do you write in?

Historical Romance, although it would be more accurate to say, Historical Fiction with romantic elements.

 

What are your hobbies?

Writing, reading and researching. Family time.

 

Do you recall how your interest in writing originated?

I can’t remember a time when I haven’t written. At first I used to write these pitiful, sad little ditties, then I graduated to short stories, until I found my true love, writing novels.

 

What is your writing process? Do you outline, fly by the seat of your pants or a combination of both?

I fly by the seat of my pants.

 

What would be the best way for readers contact you? Do you have a website? Email address? MySpace site? Blog? Message Board? Group?

My website is: http://www.margarettanner.com/

My email:  mjljtanner@hotmail.com

 

What type of book have you always wanted to write?

A best seller.

 

Battlefield nurse, Amy Smithfield, falls in love with Captain Mark Tremayne, but he is bound to his dead wife. He can never marry again or tell Amy the truth, unless he wants to risk the gallows for a murder he did not commit.

 

Amazon / Wild Rose Press

Annette Synder, Brings Family Stories to Life

 

Annette Snyder calls small town Nebraska in the heart of the Midwest, habitat of cornfields and combines, her home.  In an old house, with husband and dog, Annette sits and write. 

Four grown children visit often and the grandkids cause beautiful havoc. 

All her life, Annette paid attention to things around her, stories from her parents, friends, grandparents and great-grandparents, and one day she compiled those stories and wrote a book.  It was that one book that started a wave of ideas and the story characters just keep pestering her so Annette continued to write all the time, work when necessary and vacation as much as possible.   

Visit Annette Snyder  http://annettesnyder.atspace.com There you’ll find contact information, events, purchasing details and a link to her popular blog, Fifty Authors from Fifty States or visit here: http://annettesnyder.blogspot.com   Face Book: Search Annette Snyder-Novelist.    

Available Now: Respectable Affair-http://www.whiskeycreekpress.com

2011 EPIC Award Finalist-Contemporary Romance

 

Please tell us your latest news! 

From my real job, I work at a landfill and everyday is different, to my real life, where my husband and I expect to have grandbaby number five shortly, my life changes every day. Some would say I’m fortunate because I essentially avoid a rutted life.  Since I gave up my part-time temporary job that lasted eighteen years, I occasionally enjoy those quite Sunday afternoons with much appreciation.  I use that time to write and am in the process of completing the third novel in my contemporary series, Going Twice.     

What main genre do you write in? 

I’m a romance author.  I love the happy ever after.  I do have one mystery building in my brain but I’ll have to read more of that to understand how it’s written.  

How does your family feel about having a writer in the family? Do they read your books? 

My daughters and daughters-in-law have read all my books.  My mom encourages me as did both my grandmothers.  Each has their favorites. My hubby isn’t a reader and my oldest boy, though he does read, likes biographies—and I couldn’t get him to read anything in high school.  I remember the first published novel I gave my oldest daughter.  She hadn’t ever read an entire book all the way through and she texted me from work so excited.  “I finished Sally Murphy!  It was awesome!” Now she reads all the time so that’s a good thing.    

Do you recall how your interest in writing originated? 

I always wrote.  Bad poems and poorly written stories began in high school.  Creative writing classes in college showed me that I could actually put a beginning, middle and end to something.  Life got in the way sometime between college and a visit with a friend years later who told me the story of how her family landed in the Midwest.  Leaving that discussion, I thought what a terrific story it would make so I combined pieces of what she told me with pieces of my life and wrote Travis Pass, my first complete novel.  Travis Pass was my third novel published and I dedicated it to my friend—who cried when I gave it to her.   

Do you have a website recommendation for other writers? 

There’s always my site:  http://annettesnyder.atspace.com.  There you’ll find contact information, events, purchasing details and a link to my popular blog, Fifty Authors from Fifty States.  My blog is a fun project I thought of three years ago.  It involves writing professionals from all fifty states.  If you’re a reader, there’s interesting articles each week about one author from one state, sometimes prizes!  If you’re someone involved in the writing world, there’s info about getting involved in my project.    

When you have writer's block how do you break free? 

Writers block plagues everyone, even people who don’t write more than letters and emails.  I usually get a block during the middle of a story or when I’m not quite sure what line a character might take.  On the days that words avoid me, I force myself to write just a few sentences and eventually I get over the hump.   Other I’ve talked to say that they attend a workshop or work on another piece to get through.   

Do you belong to a critique group? If so, how does this help or hinder you? 

I’m not a good joiner so attending a group doesn’t usually work for me.  I also hold a full time job that I love so that cuts into scheduling time to physically attend.  It’s hard to get off work at 5:30 and get home, cook supper and be out the door.  Face it, I chase around all day at work, I don’t want to come home and do the same.  However, I was fortunate enough to be invited to join a small online group. I believe there’s five or six people involved.  The rule is:  honestly critique two and post one.  Sometimes the comments tear my work apart and sometimes they point out the good points.  I’ve learned so much about structure, flow and word usage that I find it invaluable.  The fact that it’s online means I don’t have to schedule more than computer time.   

What's your favorite genre to read? 

I am a historical reader but I read all sorts of stuff.  I also like stories that don’t take too much brain power to figure out and books that I can read in a few days. I suppose that’s why I write books 65,000 to 80,000 words...there’s probably a little ADHD in me.   

What was your first published work and when was it published? 

My first published novel came out in 2005, Sally Murphy.  It was actually the third story I ever wrote but the first one I sold.  That’s a novel based in 1800’s and its part of a series but it’s also readable as a standalone like the other six in that series.  You can find out all about all those plus the rest of my work on my website.  

Is there anyone who really mentored or inspired you to keep writing until you were finally published? 

And I just have to answer this question because I believe everyone is guided over their lifetimes to do just that ‘something.’  In my case, when I was a kid, six sets of grandparents and great-grandparents lived within a twelve mile radius of me.  They were all part of my parents support system so they’d take turns caring for me and my siblings. I listened to the stories they told of tackling horse and buggy drive to towns’ miles away for supplies and battling sickness on ocean voyages while traveling to start new lives.  I knew I was being told those stories for a purpose.  Even as a kid, something told me to remember. I did and one day I started writing.  All my work has bits and pieces of those stories, told to me by family who actually lived through the making of America, The Great Depression, World Wars and all that and, though I write fiction because I enjoy it, the ideas come from real life tales.   

Here’s my Website:  http://annettesnyder.atspace.com

My Blog:  http://annettesnyder.blogspot.com

My Publisher:  www.whiskeycreekpress.com

A Nebraska Co-Op organization I’m involved in: www.growne.com

Thanks so much Romancing the Heart for having me today and please stop here often—it’s a great place to get the latest on all your favorite authors plus ones you haven’t read. 
 

Rock Creek, third novel in the Travis Pass Series and the story of Lindsay Hopkins-Pass, her struggle happiness and finding her place in life.

When her mother is murdered during a barroom brawl, Lindsay’s only chance for survival is to live with her father, Travis Pass.

Under his care, she learns love and security until Ernie Atkins destroys it all. Ernie’s evil act forces Lindsay to make choices that affect her life, the life of her fiancé, Luc Fricke, and the life of her unborn child.

With the help of people who live on the shores of Rock Creek, Lindsay may learn that love and commitment can turn even the worst of circumstance around.

 Whiskey Creek Press / B&N

 

 

Contest:  Annette is offering one autographed copy of any of her released novels, winners choice, to one person who comments during my blog post.