Character Days: Lena Maria Estelle from Foothold of Tethys

News of the day first:  Myself and my coauthor Briana are participating in a Mother's Day Reading Blitz Giveaway and you can join in!  At the link you'll find a list of some 70 books which feature strong female characters in leading roles and are only 99 cents for Mother's Day weekend!  Our book, Seeking the Storyteller, will be one of those!

Come join us for some awesome stories!!

Now, onto Character Days!  As always, if you'd like your character interviewed, please send me an email!

Character Days: Lena Maria Estelle from Foothold of Tethys

So... tell me a little about yourself and the world you live in.

About me? Uhh... nobody asks about me. Generally that is. So who are you to ask me that? What do you want from me?

Nothing. I am just curious. Would you? Share a little about yourself?

Oh well... It's not like I have anything else to do. I just don't know where to start. What would you like to know?

Where do you live? What year is it?

I live... well I mostly live on board, strapped in the pilot-seat. I don't like life on station very much, which kinda goes both ways as the people on station generally have no love for pilots either. And the year... geesh... I kinda lost track... thirtyonehundred-something-or-rather? I really don't know.

Tell us your most closely guarded secret.

Wow now, isn't that a bit fast? I have just met you. You don't go asking about secrets when you've just met, it's impolite!

True, alright then. Tell us about your single most important memory.  What was it and how does it affect you now?

My most important memory... I think it's riding in my father's lap in the harness, on my first flight out under the stars. He is a pilot you know, a real space pilot. Or at least I think it was my first flight... It's the first flight I can remember and so I guess in a way it is really my first flight.

What type of person are you?  Are you a hero or do you shy away from conflict?  

Oh, I am not a hero. I am just a girl who happened to inherit a spaceship and tried to scratch out a living hauling asteroids from the belt of Jupiter back to station. I am a nobody really, just trying to survive in the only way I know how.

Do you have any hobbies, any special talents?

I love nature documentaries, especially the old ones with Sir David Attenborough. I  just love the way his voice emphasizes things. I have them all on tape, so I watch them again and again. We can watch some if you want...

Maybe later.

Oh. okay.

Anything else you love or are good at?

I love flying. It's my calling. At least, I think it is. Who would really know what their calling is right?

And in that line, what would be your ideal day?

My ideal day... Gosh. I think the ideal day would be to catch the biggest asteroid there is to find, drag it from the ice-belts with a little struggle, but not so much to damage the ship, a flight with no problems, and then on returning discovering it yields a fortune in rare elements so I can finally get all the much needed repairs. That would be a fine day.

Do you have anyone close to you, any family or friends of interest?

There is my father... or at least, there was. I sometimes forget he's... gone. And there is my brother, Chris. He just got married to this blond curly-haired girl named Christine, - Chris and Christine, can you imagine?-  and at first I just thought she was a loony, but she turned out to be a prophet! Oh, maybe I am saying things I shouldn't. And there is Belle, who kinda served as my surrogate mother as I never knew mine. I was birth-planned, you know, belly for hire kind of deal, by my father who desperately wanted an heir. He and Chris... well, that's a different story.

About your father, How did he die?

I don't like to talk about that. It upsets me. I still have nightmares sometimes...

Oh, sorry.

That's okay.

What is your most prized possession?

The ship. Dad's ship. It's an antique, but it still flies straight and true, and I can out-fly, outmaneuver and out-haul all the new smaller ships with it. It's old though, so it has it's issues now and then.

What initially spurred your actions in this story.  Obviously it had to start somewhere for you, give us an idea of where that starting point is and where it all started.

What story? Oh, you mean the hostile take-over of the biggest station orbiting the Jupiter moon of Tethys? Yeah... well... I kind-of went by the seat of my pants on that one. I mean, how would you react if you wake up and find your home being invaded by pirates? It's a fight, flight or surrender deal, and I am not the type who surrenders easily... not without a fight and trying to get anyway.

How do you envision your future? 

Tricky. I... I don't know. After all that happened, I am not sure of who I am anymore...

Tell us where we can read more about you?

Read about me... gods... who would want that. I am just average, you-know. Just a face in the crowd. if you want to know more about people like me, then have a look around. Really look. And then don't look for someone you know, but look outside your comfort zone, talk to someone you would normally not talk to. That, generally speaking, will be me, or someone like me.

Author: Martin van Houwelingen

Buy link

Author's blog or website:

General: https://www.facebook.com/Martin.Gifted

Book related: https://www.facebook.com/groups/footholdoftethys/

Character Days: Beatrice "Beanie" Peterson from At the End of the Line

Some quick news today before the character interview!  Briana and I will be at Minneapolis Wizard World Comicon with a table and books to sell!  You should follow the link to see where our table will be so you can stop by!  The convention is in May from the 2nd to the 4th in Minneapolis Minnesota!

Also, we're now offering signed copies of our book through our etsy shop!  If you purchase from us you'll get a sketch of one of the characters in the front cover - something we don't even do at conventions.  Get all the details here!

If you'd like one of your characters interviewed, feel free to send me an email. 

Character Days: Beatrice "Beanie" Peterson from At the End of the Line

Tell me a little about yourself and the world you live in.  

A: I live in Hildale, Utah in the 1950’s where plural marriages are accepted. At the age of fifteen I was forced to marry one of the Mormon elders, twenty years my senior, and live with two other sister wives and six children. My husband, Orson Peterson, is not very kind to me.  He abuses me when I don’t follow his rules.

Tell us your most closely guarded secret?

A: Three months into the marriage, I discovered I was pregnant, but I ended up miscarrying.  When my husband found out, he was furious. He accused me of killing his child and he hit me. He forced me to have sex with him so that I would get pregnant again. My most closely guarded secret is that I ended up getting pregnant again and miscarrying a second time. I knew that if Orson ever found out he would hurt me even worse.

Tell us about your single most important memory.  What was it and how does it affect you now?

A: By far, my most important memory is the day I dialed a wrong number. It changed my life forever. I was trying to reach, Miss Cora, my piano teacher, who had moved away, to ask her to help me get away from Orson.  But the person I ended up speaking with was a woman in Boston named Adeline Garrison. This sparked a long distance relationship spanning fourteen years.

What type of person are you?  Are you a hero or do you shy away from conflict?

A: At the age of fifteen, I was shy. But as I grew older, I became involved in the civil rights movement and fought for desegregation.  I was one of the first Freedom Riders to get arrested in Birmingham, Alabama. And I marched with other peaceful demonstrators on Washington D.C. in 1963.  So I would like to think of myself as a hero.

Do you have any hobbies, any special talents?

A: Yes, I am known to play a mean piano.  I’m very good at sight-reading music, especially jazz. This talent landed me a nice job playing piano at a jazz club in Chicago called, Smoky Joe’s.

And in that line, what would be your ideal day?

A: My ideal day would be to take the El train with my best friend, Byron, to his great aunt and uncle’s place on the south side of Chicago and eat macaroni and cheese and then play Duke Ellington’s, Hello Little Girl on the piano at the club with Mr. Ellington singing along. 

Do you have anyone close to you, any family or friends of interest?

A: Most definitely. Mrs. Adeline Garrison, (Liddie). She was the woman at the end of the line when I dialed the wrong number. Most people would have hung up, but she didn’t. She heard the desperation in my voice and she helped me. We spent years writing back and forth. I would call her from time to time when I knew Orson wouldn’t overhear me.  But mostly I sent her letters and postcards. She was my saving grace, and the reason I was able to have the guts to run away from Orson.

What is your most prized possession?

A: My postcards. I always keep a stash of them in my knapsack so that I can write to Liddie no matter where I am or what I might be doing.

What initially spurred your actions in this story?  Obviously it had to start somewhere for you, give us an idea of where that starting point is and where it all started.

A: It all started with me being forced to marry Orson. But it wasn’t until Liddie and I became long distance friends that I was able to run away and start a new life.

How do you envision your future? 

A: My goal is to become a civil rights attorney. Since I married at fifteen, I didn’t get to finish high school.  But because of Liddie’s generosity, I was able to get my diploma, go to college and attend law school. One day, Liddie and I will meet face to face, and I will be able to hug the woman who helped save me.

Tell us where we can read more about you?  

A: You can read more about me and Liddie in the book, At the End of the Line.

Author:  Kathryn Longino

You can purchase the book here!

Authors’ blog or website: www.KathrynDionne.com and www.abbylvandiver.com

The Authors

Kathryn Longino is a pen name for the writing team of authors Abby L. Vandiver and Kathryn Dionne.

Born and raised in Ohio, Shondra C. Longino, who writes under the pen name Abby L. Vandiver, holds a bachelors in Economics, a masters in Public Administration and a Juris Doctor. These days, Ms. Longino enjoys writing and endeavors to devote all her extra time to it.

Her debut novel, In the Beginning, an Amazon #1 bestseller in its category, was written on a whim, put in a box for more than a decade, and finally pulled out, dusted off and published in 2013. Its stand-alone sequel, Irrefutable Proof, is also a bestseller and is available on Amazon.

Ms. Longino resides in Cleveland, Ohio and has four wonderful grandchildren, Gavin, Sydne September and Riley.

To learn more about Author Abby L. Vandiver, visit her website: www.abbylvandiver.com, or Twitter: @AbbyVandiver, Facebook: AbbyVandiver

Kathryn Dionne lives in Southern California with her husband, Jeff, and their two Shar Peis, Bogey and Gracie.

From an early age, Kathryn's love of treasure hunting sparked an interest in archaeology. As an amateur archaeologist, she's been fortunate enough to uncover some very unique artifacts in different parts of the globe. However, she's still searching for that very special scroll.

In addition to writing, she manages their five-acre property and their grove of Italian olive trees. Her husband has lovingly named their business; Saint Kathryn's Olive Oil.

In her spare time, she makes cookie jars and throws pottery in her studio. She also creates mosaics from discarded objects and sells them under the category of Found Art.

She is currently writing a new series called; Chasing Time, which she hopes to have published some time in 2014.

To learn more about Kathryn Dionne, please visit her website at: www.kathryndionne.com

Writing Process Blog Tour - My Turn!

WRITING PROCESS BLOG TOUR

Jackie over at her blog tagged me and now it's my turn!

Jessica Walsh - Author profile:
My life is a flurry of writing, art and creativity. You can usually find me reading a book, scribbling notes in a notebook for future creations, typing on a laptop with music blaring in my ears or buried in my basement watching documentaries and sitting behind a sewing machine.
I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember and have boxes of old notebooks in horrible handwriting to prove it. Only recently have I stumbled back into writing and finishing my ideas.
Seeking the Storyteller is the first novel I’ve published; with my partner in crime and life, Briana Lawrence. I also write horror, fantasy, supernatural and occasionally romance pieces which I am currently shopping around through contests and publishers.

Here's a little information about my writing process:

1) What am I working on?
Currently I just finished the first draft of a story that's been swimming around in my head since high school.  Inspired by the random creativeness of myself and my friends during our high school time, Key to the Beginning is a story about the beginning of a change and the end of our world as we know it. I'm just not stepping into the editing stages and I hope to have it ready to submit to my publisher in the next couple months.

2) How does my work differ from others of its genre?
By far my favorite genre is Urban Supernatural and it's quite the challenge to take supernatural creatures and make them fit in our world and our culture.  You have to create a logic behind these creatures for why other people haven't noticed them until now and I think I've pretty much gotten a handle on that.  My real specialty though is creating cultures and creatures with a much realistic detail as possible.  This is where my studies in Anthropology, World Religion and Mythology really come in handy.

3) Why do I write what I do?
I write because there are muses in the back of my head that are constantly creating stories.  Unique characters, story lines and creepy plot twists are leaking out of my head and I have to write them down, or I get restless.  I'm serious, it is basically a need for me.  The hard part is weaving them into stories that resemble these stunning worlds in my head so that others can understand and see them.

4) How does my writing process work?
My writing almost always starts with a dream, hearing a song, or something in normal life that sticks in my mind and just won't go away.  I have a book to record things like that and I usually let the idea fester in the back of my mind for a couple months until it becomes more coherent and I can expand on it.

When I start writing I don't always have a plot, but I at least have a few characters defined and an idea of where I want them to go.  Sometimes I don't start writing until I have the full plot, but in most cases I start writing and let the story drive itself and decide where it wants to go.  By the time I'm 2/3rds of the way through, I usually have an ending in mind and work to wrap it all up.  My stories almost never actually end where I originally intended and the characters always seem to grow a life of their own.

If I ever get stuck, I have a handful of really good friends who I can sit down and explain the story to.  As I'm telling it, I'm usually able to talk myself out of the writers block and keep the story moving, so explaining it helps all the time.

Thanks for stopping by.  The week of April 28, stop by the following writers' blogs to learn their writing process. 

Briana Lawrence:  
My partner and coauthor for Seeking the Storyteller, Briana is the one who reminded me how much I loved writing and that I wanted to be published.  She has a handful of books under her belt ranging from gay romance to mystery to supernatural horror.  Her books have strong female characters, imaginative creatures and characters that will stick in your mind like real people.

Her published works include Double Hue, Treat Me Kindly, Press Start to Play and more coming soon!

You can find her blog here!

Nathan Anderson:  
A good friend of mine since before middle school, Nate has been a support in my writing forever.  He's recently started going after publishing his own stories and I'm sure you will hear more from him in the future.  In the meantime he has a blog with movie reviews  ^__^

You can find his blog here!

Character Days: Mike Cannon from Noir Town

In the process of finishing my own first draft and editing it I completely spaced on posting a character interview yesterday, sorry about that!  So, as to not be too late, here we go!

I feature character interviews on my blog at least once a week.  If you're interested, and would like to have one of your characters interviewed, just drop me a message and let me know!

Mike Cannon from Noir Town 

Tell me a little about yourself and the world you live in. 

A little about myself, eh? Yeah, well, I live in New York, a place I call Noir Town. That’s right. The dark city. Why? because it’s dark, forbidding and full of crime being committed in every little greasy corner nearly every hour of the day. No, I take that back. Nearly every second of the day.

I know what you’re thinking…why do you live there? Yeah. Good question. Well, I live in this dark, sinful city because it’s the only place to get a decent pizza, and pizza is important to me. It should be important to everyone. Pizza, in case you are wondering, is the most important thing in the entire universe. Except maybe for The Three Stooges, God rest their immortal souls. They were more important than anything, and now they’re gone. Fortunately, in a city that never sleeps and is constantly hung over, you can usually find a little theatre somewhere that’s showing a Three Stooges movie. Somewhere.

Aw, I’m jes pulling your leg a little. Actually, I live here because I’m a private detective. My job involves things like finding people who have been swallowed up into the dark maw of this unforgiving berg. Sometimes it involves following a spouse around to find out, “Is she or he really being faithful?” They usually aren’t.

So, you see, the city gives me a good living, and I usually don’t have to face any real dangers. Not that I’m afraid of that, of course. Take my most recent case for example. It involved a very notorious kind of sex trafficking. Notorious because it was being run by some very powerful people. People you just didn’t want to cross. People who would try anything to get you off their trail. Blow you up even. I call it, what else, Noir Town.

Tell us your most closely guarded secret?

That my mom is a borderline psychopath who loves to kill. Fortunately she’s in a special retirement home upstate that’s staffed with people who know how to take care of her. I see her as often as I can. It helps to keep her on the right side of sanity. A person can’t really have his mom running around slashing throats indiscriminately. Of course sometimes she does come in handy for certain “special projects,” shall we say?

Tell us about your single most important memory.  What was it and how does it affect you now?

Well, my mom was a member of the French resistance during world war II. She was known as Suzette the Slasher. She was a genius at operating right under the collective noses of the Nazis in her sector. She absolutely loved killing SS officers, and she never got caught. My favorite memories are of her training me and my older sister in the clandestine arts…pretty much from the time we were toddlers.

That affects me by helping me to keep safe in my day-to-day operations. Often I find there are people looking for me. Pretty much with an intent to do me harm.

I wrote all about it in Noir Town.

What type of person are you?  Are you a hero or do you shy away from conflict?  

Me? Oh, I’m just an average PI. I find answers to questions people would rather have go unanswered. Conflict? Most people know better than to try anything. I won’t shy away from it exactly, though. Mostly I circle around behind it.

Do you have any hobbies, any special talents?

My hobbies and special talents are pretty much the same. They involve keeping my mother and my sister from killing too many bad guys. Oh, did I forget to mention my older sister? Yeah. She’s a diagnosed sociopath. Loves to kill people. Works for the NSA as their top assassin. Expert with all types of weapons, especially sniper rifles. Very much appreciated by her employers, too. Oh, you didn’t know the NSA assassinates people? Well, I’m really not supposed to say anything, but…

I don’t mean that to scare you any. She’s really got a good heart. Only kills for business, or to protect me. You know how big sisters are.

And in that line, what would be your ideal day?  

To stay home, eat pizza, watch a couple of Three Stooges shorts, and then see if the Mets are capable of winning any baseball games at all. They probably aren’t.

Do you have anyone close to you, any family or friends of interest?

Of course there’s my mom and sister. I think I’ve said enough about them, but there’s also my best friend, Sure. That’s what we call him, Sure. Because he’s always sure of himself, and his real name is Sherman. I’ve known him since grammar school. We were both Seals. In the Nam together. Well, he went to law school, and is now my lawyer. He also has my back during some of our operations. I’ll just leave it at that.

What is your most prized possession?

That would be my dad’s old Colt .45. You see, my dad was in the OSS and met mom when he was working behind German lines. He taught me how to shoot, God rest his soul. I don’t usually carry, but if I’m facing a serious situation, it’s a pretty good tool to get me out of it. It’s a real American gun. Not like those pansy nine millimeters that everyone seems to like so much. Frankly, I don’t trust anything measured by the metric system. That’s for nerds who major in chemistry.

What initially spurred your actions in this story.  Obviously it had to start somewhere for you, give us an idea of where that starting point is and where it all started.

Well, I know it sounds like a cliché, but this gorgeous blond walked into my office asking for help.

How do you envision your future? 

I was thinking of retiring and moving upstate. Being a little closer to mom. Taking it easy. My sister says it’ll never happen. Something about my being too much of a meddler. She’s probably right. She usually is.

Tell us where we can read more about you? 

I don’t want to brag, but you can read all about my recent case in the book titled, “Noir Town.” It’s available on Amazon.

Author:           W.H. Matlack

You can purchase the book here!  

Author's blog orwebsite

Character Days: Evangeline Lewis from Leather and Lace

Back from a successful week at Anime Detour where we SOLD OUT of our book Seeking the Storyteller!  So we're ordering more copies now and soon we'll also have it listed on our store, where you can get a signed copy.  Stay tuned!

In the meantime, this week we have Evangeline Lewis from another Erica Sutherhome's book Leather and Lace!  Take a read below

Evangeline Lewis from Leather and Lace

Tell me a little about yourself and the world you live in. 

I work as an exotic dancer at The Glass Slipper to make ends meet.  Boston is my home.  I live in a small apartment on Dartmouth in the South End.

Do you like your job?

I find there is a kind of power in dancing.  I can take on a different role.  It is nice to step away from my problems for a time and lose myself in the music.

Tell us about your single most important memory.  What was it and how does it affect you now?

It was just after my parents’ car accident.  A social worker came and started talking to me and my sister Sherrie.  When the woman walked away, Sherrie looked at me and said, “Do you think they’re going to separate us?”  I shook my head and told her, “They can’t.  I promise I’ll always take care of you.  Do you believe me?”  But, life never quite works out the way you planned, does it?  I can never forget that trust I saw in her eyes then.

What type of person are you?  Are you a hero or do you shy away from conflict?  

I don’t like conflict exactly, but I have a stubborn streak.  I’m a survivor.  And I will fight for what’s right. 

Do you have any hobbies, any special talents?

I like to draw and paint in my spare time.  I used to do it quite a lot.

And in that line, what would be your ideal day?  

My ideal day would be to unwind after work, turn on some soft music and listen to it play in background while I make a good home cooked meal.

Do you have anyone close to you, any family or friends of interest?

There is my sister Sherrie, but I haven’t seen her for awhile.  No, I guess no one that close.  I get along with the girls at the club though.

What is your most prized possession?

I keep all of the letters Sherrie and I used to write to each other in a shoe box.

What initially spurred your actions in this story.  Obviously it had to start somewhere for you, give us an idea of where that starting point is and where it all started.

I saw something I shouldn’t have.  Since then, I have been in a tight place.  When I saw the crime happening, I couldn’t prevent myself from responding.  And that’s when I met Patrick.

How do you envision your future? 

I guess I don’t really think about it.  I’m just trying to live from one day to next, hoping that at some point, I can get out of this mess.

Tell us where we can read more about you?  

You can learn more about me in Leather and Lace.

Author:  Erica Sutherhome (Marie Lavender)

You can purchase the book here! 

Author's blog or website 

Don't forget, there are eleven other books by Erica Sutherhome!

Character Days: Clarence Flannery from Hustle Henry and the Cue-Ball Kid

Character Days!

It's that time again this week, while preparing for our table at Anime Detour this weekend, I've got another character interview for everyone to read.  This time, it's for a western by Jack B. Strandburg.

If you'd like one of your characters interviewed, send me an email!

Clarence Flannery from Hustle Henry and the Cue-Ball Kid

Tell me a little about yourself and the world you live in.  

I live in the Old West, circa early 1900’s. I was born and raised on a farm in Kansas and fell in love with the game of pool (billiards for you more sophisticated folks). My father wanted me to be a farmer but it wasn’t to my liking so I set out on my own to make a living as a pool hustler.

Tell us your most closely guarded secret?

Despite my obsession to beat every pool shark in the world and become rich in the process, I sure wish I could find a decent woman.

Tell us about your single most important memory.  What was it and how does it affect you now?

I would say without a doubt my sixteenth birthday when my father presented me with a cue stick made out of elephant ivory. It was a welcome gift to replace the gnarled tree branches and was a clear sign I was destined for billiard greatness.

A close second was a not so welcome event when I learned one of the Hole-in-the-Table-Bunch members who ditched me bought my parent’s farmhouse in Kansas.

What type of person are you?  Are you a hero or do you shy away from conflict?  

While gunfighters and violence in the Old West were the norm, I never shot anyone and never carried a gun. I avoid conflict at all costs, not always easy when taking money off my victims at the pool table. Many might see me as a coward but I prefer wise.

Do you have any hobbies, any special talents?

At an early age I became proficient at playing pool and that became my obsession.

And in that line, what would be your ideal day?  

Watching men who believed they could beat me in a pool match walk away with their heads hanging lower than whale shit.

Do you have anyone close to you, any family or friends of interest?

James Skinner, aka the Cue-Ball Kid is the closest friend I have, although more often than not he and I didn’t see eye to eye so “friend” might be too strong of a word. However, next to me he was the best pool player in the world. He was my sidekick and traveled around with me and other members of the gang (The Hole-in-the-Table-Bunch). I must admit (a little reluctantly) had it not been for his help I might not have been as successful, although I can’t guarantee that.

What is your most prized possession?

That’s an easy question to answer – my pool cue, silly!

What initially spurred your actions in this story.  Obviously it had to start somewhere for you, give us an idea of where that starting point is and where it all started.

My father, a pool hustler of note in his younger days, introduced me to the game of pool when I was eight years old although I think he later regretted his decision since I turned down his offer to inherit the farm. I was a born pool hustler and found it an easy way to make money. It sure beat robbing trains and banks and risk getting shot or thrown in jail.

How do you envision your future? 

I would be happy to continue hustling pool for the rest of my life, although I might seriously consider dumping the Cue-Ball Kid. After a while he became too high-maintenance, nothing more than dead weight. In retrospect I should have set out on my own. I would have felt the same way about the rest of the Hole-in-the-Table-Bunch but some got scared off after we ourselves got hustled and a few of them actually turned against me.

Tell us where we can read more about you?  

Hustle Henry and the Cue-Ball Kid

Author: Jack B. Strandburg

You can buy the book here! 

Author's blog or website: 

http://jstrandburg.wordpress.com