Wishing all my friends, family, readers and fellow authors A Very Merry Christmas/ Happy Holidays. I wish you all the best for 2013.
Marie
www.mariegodley.moonfruit.com
Friday, 21 December 2012
Merry Christmas
Wishing all my friends, family, readers and fellow authors A Very Merry Christmas/ Happy Holidays. I wish you all the best for 2013.
Marie
www.mariegodley.moonfruit.com
Monday, 17 December 2012
Torn
A former Army brat, Christine
Hughes moved quite often. She spent much of her time losing herself in books
and creating stories about many of the people she'd met. Falling in love with
literature was easy for her and she majored in English while attending college
in New Jersey.
Not sure where her love of
reading and writing fit, she became a middle school English teacher. After nine
years of teaching others to appreciate literature, she decided to take the
plunge and write her first novel. Now at home focusing on making writing her
new career, she spends her time creating characters and plot points instead of
grading papers.
Music has become an integral part of her writing process and without the
proper play list, Hughes finds the words don't flow. At least a few times a
week she can be found at the local Barnes & Noble with her Mac and
headphones working on her next novel. Her YA novel Torn was released by Black
Opal Books June 9, 2012.
1. What’s the
first thing you did when you received word you’d sold a book?
I
called my husband and jumped and screamed for a bit. He went out and bought a
bottle of champagne and we celebrated.
2. What part of
the book is the easiest for you to write? Why?
The
beginning is always easiest for me. I get an idea and start to move on it when
I feel cohesion. The only things I generally write down before I begin a novel
are the names of my characters. As they come to life, I write character
descriptions. That’s usually pretty easy for me.
3.
What part of the book is the hardest for you? Why?
"With the sudden, mysterious death of her
father, Samantha discovers her life isn’t what it seems. Not only isn’t she the
normal teenage girl she thought she was, Sam must now take her father’s place
in the fight between two groups of fallen angels—the Faithful and the Exiled—in
a race to save humanity. In addition to dealing with the devastating betrayal
of her friend and her feelings for someone she is forbidden to love, Sam must
also fight the growing darkness within her as she struggles to make a choice
between fighting alongside the Faithful or succumbing to the temptation of the
Exiled. Both sides require sacrifices Sam isn’t sure she can make."
4.
Who is your favorite character in your book and why?
That’s a toss up. In TORN, I think my
favorite character to write was Sebastian. The bad guy always seems more
interesting to me. In Three Days of Rain, my favorite character was my main
character, Jake. He was just so lost and at times I felt bad for the pain and
suffering I was heaping on him. In the sequel to TORN, titled DARKNESS
BETRAYED, I am finding Damien to be the most fun to play with. Something about
the damaged character interests me most.
Samantha would be played by Candice
Accola (Caroline of Vampire Diaries). She’s just fabulous and I had her in mind
when I wrote Samantha. She’s so “girl next door with a twist” for me.
Jesse Williams from Grey’s Anatomy would
be perfect for Sebastian. He has the perfect facial expressions, the perfect
eyes…. He is, hands down, my Sebastian.
No.
I try to sort them out before I begin writing. I find their personalities and
figure out what they look like from there.
9.
What hobby do you enjoy when not writing?
I love reading – and I don’t do enough
of it anymore. I like to take walks with my dogs and I am just beginning to go
back to the gym after a long hiatus. (aka – a long bout of laziness)
10.
What’s your strongest point as a writer?
I’ve been told the voice in my YA is spot on. I hope it’s true because voice, particularly in YA and Middle Grade is key to writing a convincing story. You can’t have teenagers discussing retirement options or discussing finances. I just wouldn’t be realistic.
I’ve been told the voice in my YA is spot on. I hope it’s true because voice, particularly in YA and Middle Grade is key to writing a convincing story. You can’t have teenagers discussing retirement options or discussing finances. I just wouldn’t be realistic.
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury is my
all-time favorite novel. I know it’s classified as Science Fiction but I see it
more as, I don’t know, prophetic. Not that prophetic is a genre but the ideas
the Bradbury wrote down – how many can we say haven’t come to fruition? He was
a true dreamer and many of his ideas are all around us now from blue-tooth to
wall-sized televisions to reality TV. Start burning libraries and we may call
him the new Nostradamus.
I would love to
try horror mostly because horror scares the crap out of me. I almost want to
immerse myself in it and write something spectacular but I don’t’ think it will
ever happen. I’m too much of a chicken sh!t.
I seem to have
tons of success with Facebook and Twitter. I’ve started to tap into Google +
and have also started paying more attention to my blog. I haven’t tried
Pinterest and Linked In seems too complicated to me. There is a new one I’d
like to try called Tout – I heard about it at the Random House Open House.
Favorite color: Yellow
Favorite sport: Football
Favorite vacation spot: Outer Banks, NC
Favorite food: Cheeseburgers
What
time do you usually go to bed? Between 9
and 10
Favorite
holiday: Christmas
Favorite
movie: The Princess Bride
Anything
else you’d like to add?
My next novel, Three Days of Rain, will be released January 5, 2013. It’s a stand-alone women’s fiction - the blurb is below.
Just when he thought his life was turning around...
Things haven’t been easy for Jacob Morgan. Haunted by the ghosts of his
past, Jake lives each day just going through the motions, barely getting by.
Then Lily Burns comes to town and befriends him. As Jake starts to heal, he
begins to hope that he has finally overcome the mistakes and tragedies that
have tormented him for so long. But just when he thinks his problems are
solved, his ex-wife returns, and once again, Jake is confronted by situations
he is ill-equipped to handle. Can Jake hold on to the progress he has made, or
will the lies, guilt, and secrets he’s tried to ignore shove him back into an
abyss from which there is no escape?
Monday, 10 December 2012
Who's Pulling Jess' Strings?
"My name is Jess Sturman-Coombs and I love to write novels that capture the imagination. My stories seek to take you on a journey that thrills and excites.
I love to
read and write and I've written many novels aimed at the YA and crossover
market. My debut novel, Poker Face, is currently doing very well as an e-book
and paperback available through Amazon, Waterstones and my website."
When I was eleven I started working on the market, a ladies
lingerie stall apparently. Basically
we sold anything from pop socks to massive satin girdles, as well as knickers
with the most important bits missing (I know!) and nurse outfits. I was eleven!
It was a bleak and often very cold job. With 5am starts and vans to unload and
display all before school and then
having to do it all again after school, it was actually quite tiring. Also I
couldn’t do the job in my school skirt so I had to get changed before 9am.
Unfortunately, the attendants in the public toilets cottoned on to my
‘changing’ habits and they wouldn’t allow me to use their facilities (mean or
what). I ended up having to find a way of making the shopping centre lifts jam
between floors so I could get my jeans off and my uniform on. There is a knack
and I’ve mastered it. Oh what fun I had!
When did you begin
writing?
I wrote at school and often received commendations in
English literature. I hadn’t a clue how to punctuate or spell but I loved to
write stories and poems. They were always full of meaning and were often quite
deep and depressing but, I suppose, they reflected my feelings at that time. I
wasn’t happy at school, in fact, I wasn’t happy full stop and my writing
definitely showed it. I didn’t realise back then that, if I nailed the English language
side of things, I could actually use the skills I had to earn some money.
Instead I embarked on a crazy mish mash of jobs that finally resulted in me
being accepted into a law firm. From there my future and prospects got much
brighter. I owe that firm BIG time!
Where do you get your
inspiration for your stories from?
Much of my inspiration comes from dreams and fantasies as
well as experience. I have a very vivid imagination that has always liked to
roam and wander. At one time it was a means of escape and I would live out
whole scenarios in my head that could last for hours. In my head everything
could go the way I wanted it to and I had all the control. The imagination is
like a muscle and if you exercise it regularly it grows and develops. Mine has
ended up like a freakishly massive bicep that’s actually too big for my head!
Do you have a
favourite place to write?
I like to be at home, it’s where I feel safest and most
comfortable and it’s where I can truly be myself. That makes it the perfect
place to write. I often imagine having somewhere by the sea and how it would
feel to open up the laptop there but, in reality, I’d probably have to travel
to get there and travelling scares the living daylights out of me! At the
breakfast bar or on the back of the sofa where the sun shines brightest is the
ideal writing place for me.
Tell us a bit about your
novel Poker Face
Poker Face is about a young girl who leaves school with
nothing. She faces a future so painful and bleak that just the thought of it
forces her to walk into the first law firm she comes across, and lie her way
into a job. The senior partner watches her little performance and likes what he
sees and, just like that, she secures herself an office junior position.
However, not everyone is quite what they seem and she finds herself risking her
life to protect an appeal file with incriminating evidence on it. Poker Face is
a legal thriller series aimed at the young adult market but it is being enjoyed
equally by adults. It is gritty and real and the characters are full of life
and personality. The book is about finding security in the most unlikely of
places and the importance of true love, respect and loyalty.
You have some great
reviews for Poker Face on Amazon. How does that make you feel?
Yeah I’ve been very lucky and people have been so kind. The
reviews are important for a couple of reasons. One, they give others an idea of
what they might be letting themselves in for. I really appreciate the role my
readers play whenever they choose to leave a review. Two, the reviews give me
inspiration and motivation when my insecurities are pestering me for my dinner
money, and generally being the biggest meanest bullies ever to walk the face of
the earth. I regularly go back to my reviews and read each and every one because
they boost my writing confidence. I’m not a person who can pretend that what
others think and feel doesn’t matter. It has always mattered to me.
If you could have any
career (other than writing) what would you like to do?
Errrrm...hmmm...I would like to be an actress please! Ha ha!
I always wanted to act when I was younger, from as young as I can remember in
fact. Apart from the ‘C’ in English Literature the only other qualification I
left school with was my very proud and quite shocking ‘A’ in drama. I like
nothing more than the idea of playing at being someone else now and again. I
get awkward around people and nervous when I’m out and about. When you act you
lose those inhibitions and you become that other individual for a while. That
character might handle things worse than you (which is a bit of a break from
being yourself) or they might handle things better (which is nice to experience
now and again). Pretending to be confident comes much easier to me than
actually being confident.
When is the sequel to
Poker Face coming out?
19th December 2012! Whoop whoop! It’s sooooooo exciting! As I write this it
is the evening of the 9th and I am supposed to be editing my proof
copy of The Puppet Master. I need to send it off to be printed! Don’t tell
anyone but I am SO last minute!
Are you having a big
launch event?
Oh yes! I’ve hired a theatre, The Deco Theatre in
Northampton, and it’s a fantastic building. I can project my trailer and book
covers onto the walls and decorate the venue in the black and white Poker Face
theme. I’ll be offering a gift wrap
service and both books will be there...as well as lots of children (to include
mine!) The people who work there have been awesome and they offered to bring
round ice creams in the interval! How cool is that! I have to say the ice
creams were a deal breaker as far as my children were concerned!
Where can people find
out more about you?
jesssturman.wix.com/jess-sturman-coombs/apps/blog for my blog.
http://jesssturman.wix.com/jess-sturman-coombs for my website.
Jess - Thanks for dropping by and telling us all about yourself and Good Luck with the launch.
Thank you so much for having me, Marie, and for being so incredibly
patient over the time it has taken me to get these answers together! I know I
can be a bit last minute but I’m not usually this bad! November and December
have been ganging up on me...I blame them!
Friday, 7 December 2012
Stocking Fillers
For under
5’s, with a truly seasonal theme.
“Teddy loves
travelling around Santa's workshop on the big blue wagon! There is so much to
look at and he has lots of elf friends. But Santa has a special task for Teddy
- will Teddy take it on?”
The book has black and white illustrations so they can be coloured in.
A first
chapter book with a fantasy theme, including a unicorn, a troll and a snow
globe.
“After
buying a beautiful snow globe, Phoebe finds herself pulled inside! Zoozer the
unicorn has been kidnapped by a troll and is being taken to the evil wizard
Mishra who wants to steal his powers. Summoned by the sorceress Vivien, Phoebe
must find a way to stop him. How will she trick the troll? Will she succeed?
Join Phoebe and her new friends Capstan the stag and Skimpish the wood elf as
they hurry to catch up with the troll and save Zoozer.”
For
children 6 and over. A time travel adventure set in China.
I hope you enjoy my books. They are all without violence and can be read independently or (for the older reader books) a chapter a night by parents.
Wishing you a Merry Christmas. Marie
www.mariegodley.moonfruit.com
www.amazon.com/author/mariegodley
http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_10?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=marie+godley&sprefix=marie+godl%2Cstripbooks%2C274
Friday, 30 November 2012
Life Changes
Today I’m delighted to welcome Jennifer Loiske, author of three
paranormal books.
Jennifer Loiske is a Teen/Young Adult Author who mainly writes
paranormal romance. She lives in Naantali in Finland with her hubby, two
beautiful daughters and two unruly dogs. Jennifer is a total bookaholic and
very addicted to dark fantasy, funny chick lit and paranormal romance. She is
very dedicated to charity work and tries to help those in need whenever she
can. Most of her royalties goes to charity, mainly to help families with
epileptic children and epilepsy units in hospitals. Jennifer has published
three books, IMMINENCE, SEDUCTION, CLUB NUMBER FIVE, and more is to come in
2013
Your
daughter fell ill suddenly and as a consequence developed severe epilepsy. How
did that affect your family?
Well, obviously it was a huge shock at first. I had to
stay home and quit my job as a pre-school teacher, my hubby was working in a
different city and we had just sold our house and were looking for a new one,
so when Anna got a brain fever and after that severe epilepsy our world turned
completely upside down. We knew little about epilepsy before but nothing could
have prepared us for what was about to come. But we are all fighters and we
survived. However, our journey is not over and as Anna’s epilepsy is relapsing
Lennox-Gastaut type we have no idea what the future will bring to us. One thing
is certain though; I would never have written a book if I’d stayed at my day
job. But as things are I’m very devoted to the charity work and always willing
to help others as I know how much a little help will do when you’re child is
ill and your world is falling apart.
Do
you find it hard to find the time to write when you have your family to look
after?
Sometimes, yes. But I don’t need much sleep so I’m mostly
working at late evenings and nights. When the house is quiet ‘my time’ begins.
One
of your characters in the Shape Shifter series has epilepsy. Was it hard to write
the scenes where the illness takes hold?
No. All I had to do was think of Anna’s seizures. I
actually didn’t have that character in my book before Anna got ill. I only had
some sketches and dreams that one day I’d finish my book but it felt as if something
very distant. Anna’s epilepsy changed everything. I wanted or more like needed
to add Marie, a young girl with epilepsy, in the story. I wanted to show that
no matter how hard your life is you can still be a hero and I also wanted to
share epilepsy awareness to my readers. I felt that the more I could share the
more it helped both me and the others alike.
Have
you had a lot of support from readers?
Yes. A lot of people email me giving their support. Many
of them also have a story to share and I feel honoured to be the one they want
to share it with. My professional email address is no secret and it can be
found on my homepage.
I
know some of the profits from your books go to an epilepsy charity. Are the
doctors pleased that a character with epilepsy is portrayed in a work of
fiction?
Oh, yes. Epilepsy awareness is something that can never
be spread too much.
You
have a variety of books listed on your website; some published, some in the
planning stages; where do you get your inspiration for your stories from?
That’s a hard question. Sometimes an idea just pops in my
mind. Sometimes I see something that starts to haunt me or sometimes it can
start with very small things. A word, some lyrics of a song, dream or like in
my upcoming novel, BLACK DIAMOND, an invitation to a birthday party. I usually
get very obsessed with my novel ideas and they won’t leave me alone until I’ve
written them down. So you can only imagine how many files full of ideas my
computer holds!
When
you write do you have your story planned out?
Yes and no. Usually I do plan the story in my head for a
long time before actually writing it down but sometimes words are just flowing
from me and when I’m finished I’m as surprised as my readers! A thought: Did I
actually write that? Comes in my mind quite often. Thankfully, so far it’s been
a positive thought.
What
are you working on at the moment?
I have my spoon in many pots. I’m currently writing a
sequel to my Immortal Blood series, taking part of a charity book project,
finishing up my upcoming novel BLACK DIAMOND and the third part, CHANGE, in my
Shape Shifter series.
What
do you do in your spare time?
What spare time? Haha! I’m a bookaholic so I read A LOT.
I also train my two beautiful dogs. Enjoy the nature, sail and ski and if I
have an opportunity I go to gym.
Which
do you prefer to read from – ereader or
book?
A book. There is nothing more satisfying than curling on
the sofa with a book.
Anything
else you’d like to say?
I enjoy connecting with my readers and other writers. So
don’t hesitate to contact me or connect with me on Facebook and Twitter. If you
have a story about epilepsy to share or you just want to chat, I’m more than
happy to listen. My professional email is: jennifer.loiske@hotmail.fi
Thank
you to Jennifer for sharing her story. You can find out more about her by
clicking on the links below and to buy her books click on the relevant Amazon
link.
Saturday, 24 November 2012
Gift Ideas
For books for youngsters, from the under 5’s upwards visit http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_9?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=marie+godley&sprefix=Marie+god%2Cstripbooks%2C194 or www.amazon.com\author\mariegodley
For the teenager in your life, especially if they are into wolves (especially shape shifting ones) http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_12?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=jennifer+loiske&sprefix=jennifer+loi%2Cstripbooks%2C249
A collection of horror stories can be found at http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_9?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=kizzy+lee&sprefix=Kizzy+Lee%2Cstripbooks%2C284
For a young adult intrigue story http://www.amazon.co.uk/Poker-Face-ebook/dp/B00655U9XC/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1353488284&sr=1-1
Okay, I
know, I promised something other than books – although how can you go wrong
with a book as a gift?
For stunning and unusual pictures. http://www.ahart-photography.co.uk/
For traditional jewellery http://folksy.com/search?t=items&q=dontworrybeadhappy&commit=Search
And for jewellery made from vegetable ivory
visit
http://shandmade.wordpress.com/
Thank you to Adam Hollier for allowing me to use his photo.
For traditional jewellery http://folksy.com/search?t=items&q=dontworrybeadhappy&commit=Search
http://shandmade.wordpress.com/
Thank you to Adam Hollier for allowing me to use his photo.
I hope this
list has inspired you on your quest for the perfect gift.
Merry
Christmas
Marie
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