Romantic Comedy, Billionaires, & a Beagle
December 14, 2018 by Jann Ryan in category Jann says . . . tagged as billionaries, Kristy Tate, romantic comedy, USA TODAY Best-Selling Authorby
Jann Ryan
Today we are chatting with the multi-genre author Kristy Tate about her new romantic comedy series Misbehaving Billionaires.
USA Today bestselling author Kristy Tate—writing her own happily-ever-after one day (and sentence) at a time.
She’s the author of more than twenty books, including the best-selling and award-winning Beyond Series and the Kindle Scout winning Witch Ways series. She writes mysteries with romance, humorous romance, light-hearted young adult romance, and urban fantasy. When she’s not reading, writing, or traveling, she can be found playing games with her family, hiking with her dogs, or watching movies while eating brownies.
She is also a popular public speaker and presents writing workshops for schools, libraries, and fundraisers. References available upon request.
Jann: You’re an author who has written urban fantasy, young adult and mysteries with romance. Your new series, Misbehaving Billionaires, is romantic comedy. What motivated you to write romantic comedy?
Kristy: I’ve always loved romantic comedies, but this first book was inspired by our very naughty beagle, Abbey. And because everyone loves series, I knew I had to write more.
Jann: Did you plan to write a series?
Kristy: Yes, as a reader, I like series, so I try to write trilogies.
Jann: Your main characters Letty and Wes in book one which debutedon November 1st, The Billionaire’s Beagle, are wonderful. Which character did you develop first? Tell us about their story and how they get their HEA?
Kristy: Betty, of course, was the first character. Letty was relatively easy. I have a close relative whose dad went to prison. Before his arrest, he’d been a devout, church-going man with an incredible knowledge of the scriptures. His downfall was hard on everyone who knew him, but especially his children. Wes started out as something of a playboy, but it was easier for me to love him as a perpetual student.
Jann: Where did the idea come from for book two, The Oblivious Billionaire? I read your October 31, 2018, blog post. What was it like to talk to the woman who shared her story?
Kristy: When I began The Oblivious Billionaire, I was just going for the comedic arc. I thought it would be fun to play with someone who didn’t know how he made his billions, but after a while, I started to struggle with the story. It wasn’t until I heard about Hope (apropos name, right?) through a mutual friend and had the chance to talk with her that my story grew into something with more meaning and depth. You can read about my conversation with Hope here.
Jann: Do you have an idea for book three that you can share?
Kristy: Book three will revolve around Maddie the dress shop owner who you’re introduced to in The Oblivious Billionaire, but I won’t be telling her story for a while. I’ve committed to a three-bookseries of destination romances that will release in April, May, and June. They’ll take place in Ireland, Italy, and Israel and I’m super excited to be mixing up romance, local legends, and comedy. When I’ve finished my arm-chair traveling, I’ll write Maddie’s story—The Billionaire’s Gambit.
Jann: What’s the funniest (or sweetest or best or nicest) thing a fan ever said to you?
Kristy: Does my husband count as a fan? He once said that time-travel would be wasted on him because he would just spend the whole time looking for me. And that maybe the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me.
Many of my books deal with the concept of life after death, maybe because I lost my mother when I was young. One Goodreads reviewer wrote, I also thought the references to an Old Testament euphemism for death were pretty imaginative. Don’t know what I’m talking about? Read Genesis 35:29 and 49:33 in the KJV and then read Beyond the Fortuneteller’s Tent.
I love this—even though she only gave me a three-star review—because if something I wrote could make someone turn to their Bible, then I consider that a win.
Kristy: Thanks for having me on theblog! You can find me on my blog, or on Facebook as Kristy Tate, Novelist, or on my website.
I love chatting with readers and would love to hear from you.
Jann: It’s been a real pleasure and we appreciate your time sharing with us about the Misbehaving Billionaires. Have a wonderful holiday season.
A small selection of books by Kristy Tate.
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DEBRA H. GOLDSTEIN & ONE TASTE TOO MANY
December 2, 2018 by Jann Ryan in category Jann says . . . tagged as cats, cooking, Cozy mystery, Debra Goldstein
Debra H. Goldstein & One Taste Too Many
Judge Debra H. Goldstein is the author of Kensington’s new Sarah Blair cozy mystery series, which debutes with One Taste Too Many on December 18, 2018. She also wrote Should Have Played Poker and 2012 IPPY Award winning Maze in Blue. Her short stories, including Anthony and Agatha nominated “The Night They Burned Ms. Dixie’s Place,” have appeared in numerous periodicals and anthologies including Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, Black Cat Mystery Magazine, and Mystery Weekly. Debra is president of Sisters in Crime’s Guppy Chapter, serves on SinC’s national board, and is president of the Southeast Chapter of Mystery Writers of America. Find out more about Debra at www.DebraHGoldstein.com .
Jann: Today we’re chatting with cozy mystery author and Judge, Debra H. Goldstein. We’re going to spend some time today getting to know her, Sarah, and RahRah.
Jann: Maze in Blue, your debut novel, received a 2012 Independent Book Publisher award. What was that like for you?
Debra: Maze in Blue was published by a small company (which ceased operations shortly after the IPPY Award). The company did very little PR and I was such a newbie that being published, attending conferences and being a panelist, and doing book talks and signings was already a heady experience. When I found Maze won an IPPY award, I was over the moon because it was recognition that my passion had value.
Jann: Your second book, Should Have Played Porker, released in 2016. What were you doing during the time between these two novels?
Debra: One thing I was doing was my full-time job as a sitting federal Administrative Law Judge. Somehow that took a lot of my time as did family obligations. In terms of the writing, after my first publisher went out of business in mid-2012, I still had more than six months of scheduled conferences and speaking engagements. I tried to interest agents and editors in doing some with Maze in Blue, but was told to “write something new.” Should have Played Poker was the something new I spent 2013 and the beginning of 2014 writing. When I finished the book, I queried agents and pitched it at conferences with little luck until Killer Nashville. After hearing the first two pages, the editor from Five Star indicated a willingness to read the entire manuscript. A week later, she purchased Poker, but it was so late in the year that the 2015 catalog was full. That’s why it was released in 2016. In the meantime, I wrote short stories and began One Taste Too Many, the first book in what will now be Kensington’s Sarah Blair series.
Jann: Congratulations on the 3 book contract with Kensington Press!! On December 18th, One Taste Too Many, the first book in the Sarah Blair cozy mystery series, will make its debut. Who is Sarah Blair—tell us about this amazing character.
Debra: I love Sarah Blair. She isn’t the perfect protagonist, but could be any of us.
Married at eighteen, divorced at twenty eight, Sarah Blair has nothing much to show for the last decade but her feisty Siamese cat, RahRah, some clumsy domestic skills, and a desire to succeed at her law firm receptionist job. Sarah knew starting over would be messy and a far cry from the life of luxury she led during marriage, but things fall completely apart when her ex drops dead, seemingly poisoned by her twin sister’s award-winning rhubarb crisp.
With RahRah wanted by the woman who broke up her marriage and Emily wanted by the police for murder, Sarah needs to figure out the right recipe to crack the case before time runs out. Unfortunately, Sarah is a cook of convenience who makes things like Jell-O in a Can. That’s why for Sarah, whose idea of good china is floral paper plates, catching the real killer and living to tell about it could mean facing a fate worse than death—being in the kitchen!
Jann: RahRah looks fabulous on the book cover for One Taste Too Many. Did you plan to have a cat in the story from the beginning or did RahRah do a walk-on as you plotted?
Debra: Cozy mysteries often include cooking, crafts and cats. When I began plotting One Taste Too Many, I realized there were a few areas I wasn’t very proficient in – cooking, crafts, and cats. Consequently, I researched each of these and decided Sarah would be a cook of convenience who lacked any craft skills and had a cat named RahRah. The more I played with the cat, I knew having RahRah simply be a walk-on character wasn’t fair to him (in other words, he talked to me and told me he needed to be a prominent figure in the series). The more I wrote, the more RahRah developed. He’ll be making an appearance throughout the series.
Jann: What about book 2 and 3? Can you give us any hints about them?
Debra: Book 2, which will come out in October 2019, is called Two Bites Too Many. In that book, Sarah will once again be forced into solving a mystery when it appears the police believe her eccentric mother murdered a prominent member of the community. In book 3, tentatively titled Three Treats Too Many, competing restaurants and dishes are bad enough, but murder complicates everything.
Jann: What kind of writer are you? A page a day or a burst writer?
Debra: I envy people who can write a certain number of words per day. I can’t. I write in spurts or bursts. Often, I go days without writing, but I have come to realize plotlines are percolating in my sub-conscious. When I finally write, it flows, and I lose all track of time.
Jann: What’s the best writing advice you ever received?
Debra: Having been orphaned twice, the best advice I received was “write something new.” If I hadn’t taken this advice and had simply kept trying to find a home for the books that were meant to be the first in a series and are now standalones, I wouldn’t have written the new Sarah Blair series I’m so excited about, my writing wouldn’t have improved, and I would never have had almost forty short stories published since 2012, including “The Night They Burned Ms. Dixie’s Place” (Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine – May-June 2017) which was a 2018 Short Story Agatha and Anthony finalist.
Jann: Do you listen to music when you write?
Debra: Each of my books have been written with show music inoNE the background.
Jann: What sound or noise do you love?
Debra: I love the sound of show music. I can’t carry a tune, but listening to the lyrics is what makes the music work for me.
Jann: What profession other than your own would you love to attempt?
Debra: I was lucky to have a legal career that included time as a litigator and a judge before I decided, a few years ago, to give up my lifetime appointment to follow my passion for writing. The only other career that might be fun, and which I get to do aspects of when I do a book talk, is comedy.
Jann: Debra, it’s been great spending time with you today. Wishing you and yours a fabulous holiday season. Looking forward to reading One Taste Too Many!!
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The Talented Claire Davon
November 14, 2018 by Jann Ryan in category Jann says . . . tagged as Claire Davon, romance, Urban Fantasy
Claire Davon can’t remember a time when writing wasn’t part of her life. Growing up, she used to write stories with her friends. As a teenager she started out reading fantasy and science fiction, but her diet quickly changed to romance and happily-ever-after’s. A native of Massachusetts and cold weather, she left all that behind to move to the sun and fun of California, but has always lived no more than twenty miles from the ocean.
In college she studied acting with a minor in creative writing. In hindsight she should have flipped course studies. Before she was published, she sold books on eBay and discovered some of her favorite authors by sampling the goods, which was the perfect solution. Claire has many book-irons in the fire, most notably her urban fantasy series, The Elementals’ Challenge series, but writes contemporary and shifter romances as well as.
While she’s not a movie mogul or actor, she does work in the film industry with her office firmly situated in the 90210 district of Hollywood. Prone to break out into song, she is quick on feet and just as quick with snappy dialogue. In addition to writing she does animal rescue, reads, and goes to movies. She loves to hear from fans, so feel free to drop her a line.
Jann: Today we are talking with multi-genre author Claire Davon.
Jann: Tell us about the world you have created for the Elementals’ Challenge.
Claire: This is a paranormal/fantasy world that overlays our human world. Humans cannot see the paranormal or supernatural beings around us, but they are there. In the Elementals’ Challenge series each Elemental (earth, air, fire, water) has an antagonist called a Demonos with similar element powers to the Elemental. Every so often, approximately once a century, both the Elementals and the Demonos become aware of that “Challenge” is coming. They must fight each other. If the Elementals win ALL their battles then humanity is safe. However, if any one of the Elementals lose then they have to fight a final Challenge together and if they lose that then the Demonos are allowed to wreak havoc over humanity. The last time it happened was World War II. They do not expect Challenge again this soon, but as the stories open, the Elementals feel the unmistakable call of Challenge.
Jann: Fire Danger, book one in the Elementals’ Challenge—did you have both Rachel Quinn and Phoenix characters in mind when you started to plot the book?
Claire: Yes I did. Fire Danger started over ten years ago when I had this idea for the Elementals. Phoenix pretty much 
came to mind right away, as did Rachel, but they evolved when I went back to rewrite. In the original draft Rachel was fully human initially and that just didn’t work with how I envisioned the story. I decided that each of the partners of the Elementals should have similar aspects to their powers, so fire to fire, air to air, etcetera. I wanted Rachel to be able to stand alongside a thousand-year-old immortal fire Elemental and hold her own.
Realizing that, as well as finding my way out of a terrible plot hole I had dug for myself, was what enabled me to re-start the series and energize it with my current ideas. The result is as you see!
Jann: Book Two in the series, Air Attack, which came first the characters, Clea and Griffin or the plot?
Claire: Griffin did. He has a minor part in Fire Danger so his character was partly established when I started writing Air Attack. I do that with all the books. Ondine has a small part in Air Attack as well and Masud and Shani (Sphynx) turn up in Water Fall.
Clea was later. I knew I wanted a goddess but I realized when I started getting deeper into writing paranormal and fantasy stories that I didn’t always want to go with traditional pantheons, so the Greeks/Romans/Egyptians were out. I love the pantheons I found, especially the Tuatha dé Danann, to create her backstory and her heritage. So much rich history there I was unaware of! Now don’t get me wrong, I love me some Griffin. So handsome, such wonderful wings, so ready to fall in love and he doesn’t know it…hee hee.
It was interesting to research gods that aren’t in the everyday lexicon. In keeping with the idea behind Fire Danger I wanted Clea to have air powers, and she got them from both sides of her god heritage. Each partner is instrumental in helping the Elemental achieve their part of Challenge, which is a piece of the series that weaves throughout all five books. In the end that part of the puzzle will be important.
Jann: Lara’s and Sullivan’s story released in October, book three in the series, titled Water Fall. Books One and Two came out within six months of each other. When did you have the plot for book three?
Claire: Actually, Fire Danger originally came out in June of 2016 when Samhain Publishing released it. Unfortunately, Samhain closed two weeks prior to their March, 2017 release of Air Attack. I got the rights to both books back but redid the cover for Fire Danger and put it back out in May of 2017, and then sent Air Attack through another edit and cover design before releasing it in November of 2017.
Water Fall took an interesting journey. Ten plus years ago all of my Elementals were male but when I went back to the series a few years ago that didn’t sit well with me. Therefore Ondine (and the female half of Sphynx) were born. I love Ondine/Lara because I think she brings the human side to the world of the Elementals. Ten years prior to the start of her story she was an ordinary human and then she suddenly is imbued with the power of the water Elemental when the prior Elemental is killed. In the span of a heartbeat she goes from being a human to being one quarter of some of the most powerful paranormal forces on the planet.
Here’s the really funny part about Water Fall. I wrote the first draft with a different character as the hero. The entire time I’m writing it the shark shifter, Sullivan, kept hammering on my brain. But I was stubborn and stuck with the other character until The End. Then I finished, took a beat and said “yeah…nope. Sullivan is her hero” and re-wrote the entire story with him as the MC.
The plot evolved once I knew her antagonist, the giant Iku-Turso (from a Finnish legend). Think of the Kraken and you have the idea of the Iku-Turso. I wanted to combine Lara’s journey into Ondine with the idea of this implacable underwater beast that is little understood. Add in some Haitian gods and other shifters and Water Fall became something I didn’t expect. But I like where it went!
Jann: July 25, 2018, Book One in your new Universe Chronicles series,Shifting Auras, made its debut. I understand you are working on Book Two. What can you tell us about this new world and the characters? When will book two be available?
Claire: This is such a fun series to write! Part X-Men/Gifted and part romance, the Universe Chronicles imagines a world where there are people with talents such as telekinesis and psychic powers that are loosely grouped into a U.S. agency (Universe) and a former Russian one (Night Stars). Both groups have had an uneasy existence with each other
this entire time, trying to get the upper hand on the other. As the series opens Maya Wingfield, who is an unaffiliated psychic, finds herself in Richmond and into the hands of Universe and handsome telekinetic Ian Sanderson, who is suspicious of her. Universe thinks she may be a Night Stars spy or, worse yet, part of a new group called Whisper that is targeting all talents who are twenty-five years old. The people behind Whisper, and the reason they are interested in people that age, make up the story arc that will go across the series. Each couple has their story but there is an underlying story that goes throughout.
There actually were U.S. and Russia agencies that looked into paranormal phenomenon decades ago. The U.S. agency was the Stargate Project and the Russian one was Blue Stars. The movie The Men Who Stare at Goats was loosely based on the Stargate Project.
Book two takes Ian and Maya’s boss Quillan on his own romantic journey. A Night Stars agent, Jiana Falco saves him from being hit by a car and declares she wants to join Universe. Jiana has an interesting talent where she can see and manipulate shadows. She and Quillan wind up on the run and – well – love and mayhem ensues!
As for when it comes out, my deal with Soul Mate Publishing is on a book by book basis. I am just about ready to query my editor and see if she wants to see it to publish it. Fingers crossed she will!
Jann: Can you share with us what’s on your writing horizon?
Claire: I am always writing something. At the moment I have stories in several different anthologies that should be out by the end of the year. They are as follows:
• The Only One Alive-Transcendent-release date TBA but by the end of the year. This is an odd little psychological story that is a touch horror and a touch weirdness.
• Encounter With a Spring Goddess-Spring’s Blessing-November, 2018. This is a fantasy story about little-known Spring goddess Artio and her encounter with two orphans in the woods.
• Touch of the Silver Dragon-Downstream-release date TBA. This is a lovely dragon story that works off the theme I’ve developed for any dragons I write. In this one a captured dragon and a hopeless, but not helpless, servant girl in China bond together to survive.
• Mother’s Night-Tell-Tale Press. An anti-Christmas story of sorts that weaves in pagan goddesses, St. Nick and a beleaguered Santa Claus. I don’t know the timing on this one.
• Of Water and Fire-Belle Muse Press/Voices of the Deep-this is part of a mermaid/siren box set that will be available for pre-order on November 14th and released November 23rd. This novella is a continuation of a short story I wrote a year and a half ago for a now defunct publisher telling the story of a college-age siren and the descendant of Hephaestus who gets involved with her. In this tale there is another demi-god on campus who wants her to sing for him and will go to any lengths to make that happen. The gods—and the volcanos—of Hawaii are displeased by this.
Next year I have stories in two box sets that I am still working on:
• Souls and Shadows box set-a collection of paranormal stories with magic elements and, of course, romance! I am working on this story but there will be a demi-god and a magical being who is affiliated with Hecate (yep, I went Greek on both of these box sets). This should release mid next year.
• When Darkness Falls box set-I’ve got another demi-god and a gorgon in this one. I think the gorgons were terribly mistreated and very misunderstood. In this book which will be the start of (yet) another series our gorgon and our half banshee/half Greek god are tasked with finding out who is killing gods. This should be out mid next year as well.
If all that isn’t enough, once I finish with edits on Tracking Shadows (Universe Chronicles Book 2) I am going right into edits for Earth Tremors, the fourth Elementals’ Challenge book. I hope to get that out later next year.
If anyone wants to find out more about me you can visit my website at www.clairedavon.com, or if you want to join my Facebook author page that’s https://www.facebook.com/ClaireDavonindieauthor/
Thanks for hosting me!
Jann: Claire thank you so much for taking time to share your world.
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Roxy Matthews Talks About Her Pale Bay Series
November 2, 2018 by Jann Ryan in category Jann says . . . tagged as Roxy Mathews, The Charmed Connection, writing
Roxy Matthews is the author of several self published novels, Misery’s Companion, Tools of Terror, From the Depths, McBride’s Gem, Numb, and Second Time Sam, with several others due out this year.
For over fifteen years at the keys, she worked to hone her skills. She wrote her own column for a local online newspaper, www.sootoday.com titled ‘Stepping Stones’ before moving onto higher ground with a stint in Suspense Magazine’s 2010 edition. Over the years, she continued a steady trek through this difficult industry as she dabbled in short stories, earning a kudos and first place win with ‘Watery Grave’ and ‘Euphoria’. Those wins would seal the deal for her, confirming what she always knew…she could make it, she just needed more time. She has since entered several more contests throughout the years, taking any and all advice she could to move forward.
Today, you can watch her on her quest to best seller status with her upcoming releases ‘Numb’ and ‘Second Time Sam’, both releasing this year.
“One day, I will make my way in this industry, however it may be, but I’ll never step off the stones I began treading on over a decade ago. Instead, I will find my way across the path to where I was always meant to be.”
Jann: Roxy Matthews is here with us today to talk about her Pale Bay series, so let’s get started! Did you know you wanted to write a series when you started working on the first book?
Roxy: Actually no, I planned Numb, McBride’s Gem, and Second Time Sam all as stand alones. My first book in this series, McBride’s Gem wasn’t even the first I wrote, Numb was. Once I finished Numb I started on McBride’s Gem right away. With some help from my editor and publisher at the time, it morphed into the first story in the series, and a secondary story line that would link all three books together was created. Even through it all, I still doubted Numb so much, for so long that I almost shelved it and forgot it ever even existed. It took me many years of going through the story line, revising, editing, chopping, editing, revising some more to finally have the perfect story break through.
Jann: Tell us about the world you have created for the Pale Bay series.
Roxy: Pale Bay is a piece of my heart. I based it off a little town along Lake Superior called Haviland Bay. When I dreamed the town up in my head, I gave it the likeliness of the area I lived in including the sub streets and Main Drive, but I expanded it to be more of a town then the one street existence that was Haviland Bay. I made sure it cupped the Lake, it’s people down to Earth, each with their own lives, their own secrets, just as the town was. But Pale Bay is unique. Hidden in plain clothes, mingling amongst the townspeople are a select group of three women and one man sent down from Olympus on the tails of three Gems, the Virtues of Life. They have spent centuries protecting them from the vengeful hands of Cronos, Zeus’ father. His plan, to use the powers of Life, Love, and Happiness to destroy mankind. However, the Gems have their own mission, and that is to find their pure soul mortal protectors.
Jann: In McBrides Gem, book one, you introduce Hawk McBride and Randi Ronin. What can you tell us about these two characters and the story.
Roxy: Randi Ronin was the first person to come alive in McBride’s Gem. I sat at my desk one day and was like…what if I had a woman who was strong, independent, determined to make her way in the world, but she was soft, caring, loving, and wore polka dot panties under her business suit? Boom! Randi Ronin came alive. Her hair is cut like Cleopatra’s and just as dark, her strength in the face of adversity is unbound, yet her sensitivity, her past pains are too close to the skin.
Hawk McBride was always a force to be reckoned with in my mind. He was tall, built, and strong, yet sarcastic with a flair for being a jokester. He has a
big heart that was damaged once before and even though he’s instantly attracted to Randi, he fights the feelings as much as he can. But fate intervene’s as these two forces join against something much bigger then themselves or their pasts…and that is the fate of mankind.
Jann: Did you have book two, Numb, and the Johnny Tanzer in mind while you were working on McBride’s Gem, or did it come later?
Roxy: It was kinda the other way around. Lizzie and Johnny’s story was written first. But I struggled with how to portray Lizzie’s relationship with her brother without it seeming taboo. Their unique connection as twins was a tricky one to write, not to mention the abilities they have when it comes to each other. Because of that, Numb tortured me for some time. I think I rewrote Lizzie and her brother, Lucas’ scenes at least four times to get it right. Not to mention adding in the Godly element I incorporated in McBride’s Gem. If Numb was now going to be number two and carry that secondary story line with perfection, I had lots of work to do. That being said, Numb was the first story I wrote after a close to five year hiatus, so my skills were a tad rusty. It took a good amount of work to polish it up to what 
it is today but I am super pleased with the outcome.
Jann: In book three, Second Time Sam, was it easier or harder to write? Which character did you have in mine first–Sam Doucet or Gabriella D’Angelo?
Roxy: Oh Lordy, Second Time Sam was by far the hardest. I think the reason it was was because of the story line I had played out in my mind for Sam and Gabby. Second chances at love after the loss of a loved one. I envisioned them much older, in their 50’s, but just couldn’t wrap my mind around how to make them fall in love fast. How could someone be with someone for 20-30 years, lose them, and fall in love again so quickly, especially for the rest of the story line to work? Sure, it’s been known to happen, but I felt in my heart these characters wouldn’t. So, I adjusted their ages which morphed Sam and Gabby’s characters altogether. That was when the magic happened. Bing, bam, boom. Their love to loss to love story flowed through the keys. I then incorporated my Olympian Gods and some mayhem and the puzzle pieced itself together.
Jann: You’re currently working on book four, Drago’s Destiny. Can you give us any hints on this story?
Roxy: Ohhh, Drago’s Destiny really excites me because not only is it the fourth in the series but it could be the first or the last. This story is Sci-Fi/Fantasy and tells how the Gods of Olympus ended up in Pale Bay, protecting mystical Gems, searching for pure soul mortals to, once and for all, rid the evils of Cronos from mankind. You find out the Sheriff of Pale Bay’s wife’s lineage. Denise Doucet, in her mortal form, but Gaea, Great Mother Earth in her Olympian.
For this story, I created a whole new world on a planet in a different solar system, NAN. NAN is as unique as they come, with a select group of people meant to oversee the lands above ground and below, at the helm one chosen at birth as NAN’s warrior and protector, Drago Darkiel. But their world is like any, diseases have devastated their soils until finally eradicated from the planet by horrific means. When a hint of the disease shows up in one of Drago’s relatives DNA, he risks everything to find the cure and save his family lineage. But the task will not be without its own dangers, or a woman he loved yet pushed away hot on his trail. What neither Drago nor Raechel know is just how important they are not only to the people of NAN but a planet they have yet to touch feet on.
In the final book in this series, Destiny’s Warrior, we go back to Pale Bay, to a warrior now full grown, the gifts of the gods at her fingertips, and an army created by the Virtues of Life and all that is good in man.
Jann: Thanks Roxy for opening the door into your writing world. Looking forward to the Drago’s Destiny.
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An Interview with Carol L. Wright
September 2, 2018 by Jann Ryan in category Interviews, Jann says . . . tagged as Bethlehem Writers Group, Bethlehem Writers Roundtable, Carol L. Wright, editor, editor interview, mystery author, Short Story AwardJann Ryan is still on vacation this month, so we’re running an interview from our archives. The interview with Carol L. Wright first posted April 2, 2017.
My first interview on the new A Slice of Orange is with Carol L. Wright, editor for Bethlehem Writers Group, LLC. Carol is a recovering lawyer and adjunct law professor who traded writing on law-related topics for writing fiction. She has published several short stories in a variety of genres and is the author of the Gracie McIntyre Mysteries. She is a life member of the Jane Austen Society of North America and Sisters in Crime, a member of SinC Guppies, and a founding member of the Bethlehem Writers Group. She is married to her college sweetheart, and lives in the Lehigh Valley of Pennsylvania. You can visit Carol’s website at http://carollwright.com, or follow her on Facebook at https://goo.gl/TtR9JL.
Jann: Welcome to A Slice of Orange, Carol. Tell us a little bit about Bethlehem Writers Group, LLC.
Carol: Thanks. I’m very happy to be here.
The Bethlehem Writers Group started out eleven years ago as a drop-in critique group at a local bookstore. While some of our regulars had several published works, many were writers who were just getting started, still learning the basics. As our membership grew, and our skills developed, we began taking on group challenges, such as meeting minimum word counts. That grew into accepting the challenge of compiling an anthology. Since we were based in Bethlehem, 
Pennsylvania, also known as “Christmas City, USA,” we decided to make it a Christmas anthology. Our writers work in many different genres, and had equally different takes on the theme, so when we decided on a title, we called it A CHRISTMAS SAMPLER: SWEET, FUNNY, AND STRANGE HOLIDAY TALES. Sweet, funny, and strange pretty much describes our merry band of writers, too.
Since then, we have published three more anthologies, each with different themes, and are in the process of compiling our fifth anthology, UNTETHERED: SWEET, FUNNY, AND STRANGE TALES OF THE PARANORMAL, forthcoming in 2018. In addition, many of our members have published their short works elsewhere, and we have many who have published novels, nonfiction, or memoir.
In addition to our anthologies, in 2011 we began publishing an online literary magazine. Bethlehem Writers Roundtable. Shortly thereafter, we started an annual short story contest that offers cash and publication to the top three winners. But through it all, we have never forgotten our continuing mission of meeting as a group of mutually supportive fiction and nonfiction writers to help each other perfect their craft.
Jann: BWG publishes a quarterly e-zine, Bethlehem Writers Roundtable, are you accepting submissions?
Carol: We are always open to submissions of prose or poetry. We limit submissions to no more than 2000 words, and the work must be previously unpublished.
In addition to publishing stories and poems, we have other features, including an interview of a writing professional, a column on commonly confused words, and another column from the mythical “Betty Wryte-Goode” (BWG!) with links to useful websites for writers.
Jann: Must the author be published or unpublished?
Carol: We are happy to accept good work, whether the author has been published before or not. We have had the pleasure of publishing award-winning authors, as well as writers who have never published before. Our goal is to bring good work to the attention of our readers—it’s as simple as that.
Jann: Is this a paying market?
Carol: Yes,
as of this year, we are happy to be able to offer payment for published work. Our Featured Author receives $20/story. Those whose work we publish, but who are not featured, receive $10/story. Poets receive $5/poem.
Jann: How does an author submit?
Carol: Submissions are through our online form at https://sites.google.com/site/bethlehemwritersroundtable/submissions.
Jann: Where can we read the e-zine?
Carol: It is published quarterly at https://bwgwritersroundtable. Our Spring issue just came out on April 1. No fooling!
Jann: What about The Best of Bethlehem Writers Round Table Winter Collection?
We have been fortunate enough to get some really terrific stories to publish on Roundtable through the years. A couple of years ago, we compiled several in one volume: LET IT SNOW: THE BEST OF BETHLEHEM WRITERS ROUNDTABLE (Winter 2015 Collection). It’s available in print or ebook formats through Amazon.com. (And also in the A Slice of Orange Book Store.)
Jann: As one of the Roundtable editors, what are you looking for in a short story? A poem?
Carol: We describe what we’re looking for on our submissions page, but briefly, we are looking for great stories. We often receive the equivalent of a “still life” in words—mood pieces or character sketches. But unless they are part of a true story, we’re not apt to accept them. We’re looking for three things: character, conflict, and resolution. We want to see that the main character has changed because of the events told in the story. A great story beats flowery language every time.
For poetry, we want emotion, imagery, musicality, and great use of inventive language. Poetry is a subjective genre, but what we don’t want is flash fiction with line breaks, or awkward or worn phrases. If it’s hard to make sense of your lines, we’re not apt to accept them. But if our editors feel your poem, you’ll be published.
Jann: Any writing books that you would recommend? How about classes?
Carol: There are so many great books out there. As a mystery writer, I’ve found the books by James N. Frey (not to be confused with James Frey) to be particularly helpful. He has a series of “Damn Good” books, including HOW TO WRITE A DAMN GOOD MYSTERY. He also has one for novels and another for thrillers. I found his discussion of mythic characters and themes to be particularly useful. Another great resource is the books by James Scott Bell. He has written on every aspect, from writing to editing to marketing. I’m not a horror fan, but loved Stephen King’s book ON WRITING: A MEMOIR OF THE CRAFT. Great books about being a writer include the classic BIRD BY BIRD by Anne Lamott.
I think every writer also needs a ton of reference works—both about writing and about the subjects they choose. My shelves are full of books on psychology and forensics because I write mysteries. But I also have a number of style books that I use—but only during the editing process. When I’m writing a first draft, I try not to let my inner editor get in the way of my muse.
There are also a plethora of great classes for writers out there. You don’t need to spend a fortune to get some terrific instruction. If you write genre fiction, such as romance, mystery, or children’s
fiction, there are strong, vibrant, national organizations for your genre. They frequently offer their members low-cost or free classes on a variety of writing subjects. For instance, as a member of Sisters in Crime (sinc.org), and its Guppies subgroup, I have access to low-cost classes on all aspects of mystery writing.
There are also “free” webinars offered by self-proclaimed experts on a variety of aspects of writing. These might offer some useful information, but in reality, they are ill-concealed advertisements for their extremely expensive services. They will often tell you just enough to make you want to learn more—for only $99/month for six months!
BWG is now developing workshops for writers, and hope to be ready to offer them to the public later this year. So, if you’re in the Bethlehem, PA area, they might be a good place to start.
When the budget allows, I’m a big advocate of going to writers conferences. You learn a lot from other writers, but you also have a chance to make contacts with people who “get” you. Writing is a solitary profession, and it’s nice to get out there and discover you’re not the only one who is weird like that. I mean—how many of your friends will spend a good portion of their afternoon figuring out how to get rid of a body without leaving trace evidence behind? (Uh–if they aren’t writers, maybe you should find other friends.) I always come home from a conference with renewed energy to write.
But the best thing for any writer to do is to read—a lot. It might be trite, but it’s true. By reading, you learn what does or doesn’t work. You improve your vocabulary, and expose yourself to a variety of voices. Reading opens the world up to you, both as an individual and as a writer. There is no substitute.
Jann: BWG also publishes the Sweet, Funny, and Strange Tales Anthologies. Tell us a little bit about these books.
Carol: As I mentioned, it all started with A CHRISTMAS SAMPLER: SWEET, FUNNY, AND STRANGE HOLIDAY TALES. We were so excited when it won the 2010 NEXT Generation Indie Book Awards in two categories: Best Anthology and Best Short Fiction.
When w
e first published A CHRISTMAS SAMPLER, we weren’t sure whether we would ever do another, but after a couple of years, we wanted to do it again. Having published a Christmas book, we wanted to compile one for other holidays as well. Soon, we had ONCE AROUND THE SUN: SWEET, FUNNY, AND STRANGE TALES FOR ALL SEASONS which was also a finalist for Best Anthology.
Two years later, we published a collection of food-related stories entitled A READABLE FEAST: SWEET, FUNNY, AND STRANGE TALES FOR EVERY TASTE, which earned another finalist medal from the Next Generation Indie Book Awards.
Our most recent anthology just came out last fall: ONCE UPON A TIME: SWEET, FUNNY, AND STRANGE TALES FOR ALL AGES. It’s a book of children’s stories ranging from the preschool through middle school target audience—and their parents, of course.
Our next anthology, UNTETHERED: SWEET, FUNNY, AND STRANGE TALES OF THE PARANORMAL, is due out next year.
Jann: Do you accept submissions?
Carol: With one exception, the stories in our anthologies are by active members of the Bethlehem Writers Group. That exception is that the first-place winner of the annual Bethlehem Writers Roundtable Short Story Award competition is considered for inclusion in the upcoming anthology. For some of our anthologies, though, it takes us two years to put out the book. For those, we may have two successive contest winners’ stories included in the book.
Jann: A contest? How does that work?
Each year, we offer a SHORT STORY AWARD to the best story submitted to that year’s contest. As it happens, we are currently accepting submissions of original, unpublished, paranormal stories of no more than 2000 words. Our submission deadline is April 30. Members of BWG do the preliminary round of judging, then pass off the finalists to a guest judge.
Jann: Who is the final judge?
Carol: This year, we’re honored to have New York Times bestselling author, Carrie Vaughn as our Guest Judge. She will determine who our winners are.
Jann: Where do you enter?
Carol: All entries must be submitted through the form on the contest page of Bethlehem Writers Roundtable. Payments are via PayPal. There is a PayPal link on our website to make payments easily.
Jann: How much does it cost?
Carol: There is a $10 entry fee per story.
Jann: What are the prizes?
We offer cash and publication to our winners. First place wins $200 and consideration for publication in our upcoming anthology. Second and Third places win $100 and $50 r
espectively. Both of these stories are offered publication in Bethlehem Writers Roundtable. Honorable Mentions (if any) receive a certificate, and might be offered publication at the discretion of our Roundtable editors.
Jann: When will the next anthology be released?
Carol: UNTETHERED is slated to be published in the fall of 2018.
Jann: Take off your editor’s hat for a minute and put on your author hat and tell us what you have planned for 2017.
2017 is a busy year. I have just had a short story published in the anthology THE WRITE CONNECTIONS put out by the Greater Lehigh Valley Writers Group. Another story is due out in July in the anthology DAY OF THE DARK, edited by Kaye George and published by Wildside Press, LLC. All the stories included are related in some way to the total solar eclipse that will be visible in North America on August 21, 2017.
In August, I anticipate the publication of my novel, DEATH AT GLENVILLE FALLS. It is the first of my Gracie McIntyre Mysteries. The story is about recovering lawyer, Gracie McIntrye, whose newly-opened bookstore is vandalized. She is disturbed when the responding officer is strangely indifferent to the crime. When she discovers that he did not file a police report on the incident, she suspects he might somehow be involved. She complains to the police chief, but gets no satisfaction, even as violence against her escalates. She investigates, only to discover that it is all tied to the 18-year-old murder of her former client that everyone thought was solved.
I hope your readers will look for it, and enjoy it.
I would like to thank Carol L. Wright for taking the time to answer our questions. If you have comments or questions for Carol, please use the comment form below.
Jann Ryan
Jann Ryan grew up with the smell of orange blossoms in Orange County in sunny Southern California, where she has lived her entire life and dreamed up stories since she was a young girl. Never an avid reader, she was in her thirties when she picked up her first romance quite by accident. She fell in love with happily ever after and has been reading romances ever since.
Wanting to put pen to paper, Jann joined Romance Writers of America. Currently, she is working on a romantic suspense series set in Stellar Bay, a fictitious town along the California central coast to fulfill her publishing dream.
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