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WHERE THE WILD CHICORY GROWS is a paranormal science fiction adventure that takes place on Earth. In the distant future, the humans with warrior tendency almost exterminates themselves. What is left behind is a majority race of human empaths that will stop at nothing to keep the Earth a peaceful planet
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INTERVIEW WITH TAGGART REHNN
Orville: Tell me about yourself:
Taggart: I come from a family that loved travelling and reading, a family where asking questions was never forbidden, rather the opposite. Never good at sports and surrounded by books, I soon became a geek, and a nature loving, history-buff, trekking one at that. After doing research in biopharmaceuticals, I tried my hand at management, and discovered that wasn’t for me. Following a few failed attempts at finding a real soulmate, I eventually succeeded, settled down in my new life, and started writing.
Orville: How long have you been writing?
Taggart: On an off, since the mid 1990s.
Orville: What got you interested in writing?
Taggart: Our family treasured books, especially history books, but also the classics (in several languages), travel, ethnology, and science books. At our table, that made for rather animated, and often, unusual conversations; for example, how bread and beer were used as worker’s payment in Egypt—after discussing the shape of a bread bun, the letter ‘T’ in hieroglyphs. Later on, books became my geek fortress against a world that sometimes felt unwelcoming. I remained an avid reader through adulthood and one day, a story popped up in my head, and started tolling there, like a bell, each time I lowered my guard. After that, I just couldn’t let it vanish like dirt in the wind. So I started writing it down, creating a scattering of scribbled, wrinkled, smudged pages that, once piled up, looked more like a nest for a nervous chicken than the beginning of a book—yet, it was.
Orville: How many books do you have published?
Taggart: So far, four.
Orville: Are your books self-published or traditionally published?
Taggart: Self-published. However, if a suitable publisher appears, I’m all ears.
Orville: Where can the reader find your books (include a link)?
Taggart: For now, only on Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09JXQ7FXN
Orville: Are you a plotter or pantser?
Taggart: I’m a dreamer. The characters often surge during dreams, stirring up some mischief in a more or less defined environment. Even if don’t keep a notepad under my pillow, I use Franz Schubert’s method of waking up and making notes. After a few days of jotting down things, the plot normally unfurls like a sail under a gale-force wind. For a few, feverish hours, I then become a plotter. Fleshing out the details and pruning out inconsistencies, the fun part, I tend to do as a pantser. Plotline software and I don’t get along too well.
Orville: What makes your writing unique?
Taggart: While looking for ways to plausibly insert the undead into a mixture of sci-fi, horror, spy fiction and historical novels can be hard, I try to develop the story as if this edgy, hybrid style, were a new genre, in its own right. Whether that works or doesn’t, will be for others to say. In a sense—if I ever do—when I grow up, I want to be my own kind of James Rollins.
Orville: What are your hobbies outside of writing?
Taggart: Travelling, cooking, trekking, gardening, and, need I say, reading?
Orville: Who was the greatest influence in your writing career?
Taggart: Many would probably see trying to mix Gore Vidal, James Michener, Ann Rice, Dan Brown and Isaac Asimov as a clear sign of utter madness. However, if one were to put their work in a blender and add a bit of cayenne pepper, which might describe my main source of inspiration.
Orville: Do you have a favorite quote?
Taggart: “Do not fear to be eccentric in opinion, for every opinion now accepted was once eccentric.” ― Bertrand Russell.
Orville: What genre do you write?
Taggart: It’s a hybrid of science fiction, paranormal horror, spy fiction and historical novels, built by purposefully blurring stylistic boundaries between them, stretching science until it almost snaps, while trying to avoid hat tricks—in a sense, a lot of “what-ifs” and as few as possible “abracadabras”. Maybe call it “fantascience-action-adventure”?
Orville: What are your book titles?
Taggart: For now there are four available, all on the series “Vampires and Spies”
“Freer of Souls”
“Catatumbo”
“Vyrus” (yes, with “y”)
“The Visitors”
Orville: Is your work on Kindle Unlimited?
Taggart: Yes, it is for now. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09JXQ7FXN
Orville: What are you currently working on (when will it be available)?
Taggart: Aside from a fifth book in the series “Vampires and Spies” (tentative title, “The Revenant”), I’m working on another one from a derivative series (tentative title, “Lucca’s Return”), along a similar line but with a different take. I’m aiming for early next year for their release, but don’t quote me on that.
Orville: Who is your target audience?
Taggart: Adults who like action-adventure/thrillers, paranormal horror/mystery novels, and techno-thrillers—in short people who can imagine Dracula playing James Bond onboard Han Solo’s “Millenium Falcon”, while teaming up with Indiana Jones and Paul Atreides.
Orville: What advice would you give a young person planning a writing career?
Taggart: For starters, I never planned to become a writer. It just happened. This said, feeling the need to write is fascinating. It is akin to having a volcano of ideas, images and voices, trying to erupt inside your mind. Silencing them might be possible (and stressful) for a while, but would most likely eventually lead to a Mount Saint Helen explosion-type of event. While writing is hard, lonesome, and requires a thick skin, building an entire new world—or several ones—can also be exhilarating. As Kafka said, in “Letters to Felice”: “Each of us has his own way of emerging from the underworld, mine is by writing. That’s why the only way I can keep going, if at all, is by writing, not through rest and sleep. I am far more likely to achieve peace of mind through writing than the capacity to write through peace.” Writing to achieve immortality or fortune, on the other hand, may lead to painful crash landings. Nobody, I presume, would refuse either one, but it is probably healthier they be incidental, not a reason to embark into what can easily become almost an addiction.
Orville: Do you think there are writing themes that are underrepresented?
Taggart: Crossover genres tend to be underrepresented, possibly because marketing them cannot typically follow firmly established strategies. Each can be unique enough to make edgy books or their derivatives flop. For example, I love “Outlander”, the 2008 movie about Vikings and aliens with Jim Caviezel, Sophia Myles, John Hurt and so on; well-acted, great mise-en-scène, refreshingly out of the ordinary—and yet, it didn’t do well at the box office.
Plots including so-called “minority” characters have been excluded from some genres, confined to very specific subtypes within the genre or narrowly targeted audiences, but that now seems to be changing. Themes including them offer new possibilities. Stereotypes can also needlessly constraint the treatment of many themes, and some types of heroes have to be flawed because it is assumed the stereotype has to be. Few dare venturing in those terrae incognitae and yet, breaking those molds would open a cornucopia of new, original takes, maybe even lead to themes not only underrepresented but yet to be explored. “After a long struggle killing evildoers—who have hundreds of chances to kill the hero, but prefer to go on long tirades to show off their evil nature and so, don’t—the muscular hero rescues the belle and they live happily ever after” can be reheated so many times. Beyond that, no matter how many spices one might add to that recipe, it becomes unpalatably predictable. To me, shattering stereotypes might be risky, but it is also the difference between preparing fast- and gourmet-food for the mind.
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INTERVIEW LAYLA HAWKE
Orville: How long have you been writing?
Layla: Most of my life, the outgrowth of reading so much. I started writing dystopian about four years ago. I was probably fated to start writing, because I have 3 published writers in my immediate family and others who are working on it.
Orville: What got you interested in writing?
Layla: For the Navigations series, I became disturbed by how the environment and other problems were going and by injustices/trends in society today. I got interested in what might happen if certain trajectories continued. The Navigations Series was born.
Orville: How many books do you have published?
Layla: I have six novellas published in the Navigations series and others in process. They range in length, up to 30K plus. The freeing part of publishing on Amazon is not having to fit a publisher’s rigid ideas or format, or an editor’s style of writing, which isn’t always mine.
Orville: Are your books self-published or traditionally published?
Layla: I’m traditionally published by three different publishers under other pen names, but decided to pursue my Navigation series in the parameters of self-publishing, to be sure my vision couldn’t be diluted or altered.
Orville: Where can the reader find your books (include a link)
Layla: For the Viewer's Pleasure: Navigations by Layla Hawke https://amazon.com/dp/B09JKNN9BF/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_24CXZVMFAJ426AB4XV2K
Orville: Are you a plotter or a pantser?
Layla: In writing a Navigations book, I may play with characters and situation in the beginning, but I know what I want to say in the book and how I’m going to get there. That said, if a good idea knocks on the door, I’ll consider a new path on the adventure. I’ll plot or wander in whatever way the story needs,
Orville: What are your hobbies outside of writing?
Layla: Crafts, reading, travel, walking (especially on the beach). I’m fascinated by glass & have a collection of paperweights. I love traveling, exploring the beauty & historical sites in the United States.
Orville: Who was the greatest influence in your writing career?
LM Ford: That’s hard to pinpoint. I’ve read extensively since childhood and don’t see any particular writer as an influence. Part of my interest in dystopian was probably born after seeing an interview with Margaret Atwood.
Orville: Do you have a favorite quote?
Layla: Tolkien: All that is gold does not glitter, not all who wander are lost.
Orville: What genre do you write?
Layla: Dystopian Fantasy Romance with an occasional paranormal aspect
Orville: What are your book titles?
Layla: For the Viewer’s Pleasure; The Virgin’s Gambit; Silverado Showdown; Lord Gladwin’s Bargain; Genetic Assets; Escaping Lord Edmonton. Upcoming (tentative) titles: Fair Play; A Fertile Earth; The Gunfighter’s Mind; Pure Science; The Problem with Harem Life; Scared Into Sparta; A New Century, and others.
Orville: Is your work on Kindle Unlimited
Layla: Everything until/unless I decide to expand into other venues
Orville: What are you currently working on (when will it be available).
Layla: I just finished the draft of Scared Into Sparta and will be starting another. I’m also working on a non-Navigations fantasy full-length novel.
Orville: What’s unique about your writing?
Layla: No one has my vision and I don’t have anyone else’s.
Orville: What advice would you give a young person planning a writing career?
Layla: Write because you love writing. If great books sales and admiration come, that’s nice, but find strength in your creative spirit.
Orville: Do you think there are writing themes that are underrepresented?
Layla: As I explore books promoted on Twitter, I see a wide variety. There probably are some themes underrepresented, but the books I’m most interested in seem to be in good supply.
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Author To Author Interview
Orville Burch To L.M. Ford
Orville: How long have you been writing
LM Ford: Extensive writing was necessary in university and graduate school. When I started my career, writing was a significant part of it. Yet I disliked the whole process. After a few years, something changed. I got interested in telling some of the stories in my imagination and now completely love what I once hated.
Orville: What got you interested in writing?
LM Ford: My first serious writing, i.e. the first I finished, started because I believe in recording family stories. So I started writing down stories of a family member who was orphaned in 1880 and was taken into a Dunkard family (similar to the Amish). I ended up writing a book that was researched and based on the oral traditions, but was fictionalized into a novel. After numerous editors said how much they liked it, but didn’t buy the book, I’ve published The Thanksgiving Child through Amazon
Orville: How many books do you have published?
LM Ford: 7 Cozy Mysteries & 2 other books currently at Amazon. I have 12 books under a different pen name with traditional publishers, but am enjoying the freedom of publishing at Amazon.
Orville: Are your books self-published or traditionally published?
LM Ford: I am both self-published and traditionally published.
Orville: Are you a plotter or a pantser
LM Ford: I’m probably more of a pantser, but have used both approaches. For one publisher, I had to develop an extended synopsis before writing the book that was under contract, so those were plotted.
Orville: What are your hobbies outside of writing?
LM Ford: Reading, Rocks, Genealogy, Hiking, collecting folk tales
Orville: Who was the greatest influence in your writing career?
LM Ford: I grew up in a household where both my parents had good insight into people and we interacted with a lot of interesting people. While I’ve never copied one in writing, that knowledge has definitely helped me create fun and interesting characters. My father wrote poetry, my Mom always beat everyone in word games.
Orville: Do you have a favorite quote?
LM Ford: I’ve always gotten a kick out of the Errol Flynn line in Captain Blood. “This is what I call a timely interruption.” The setting of the scene is what makes it funny, of course.
Orville: What genre do you write?
LM Ford: I write in several genres. I’m currently concentrating on Cozy Mysteries and have three series at Amazon, each with a different focus and flavor.
Orville: What are your book titles?
LM Ford: The Thanksgiving Child, Whatever Happened to Little Jackie, Being Derrick Jenkins; No Dumping Allowed; No Pepper, Please, The Secret at Raven’s Point; Smuggler’s Cove; The Kensington Affair. I also have a Christmas book called The Road to Bethlehem.
Orville: Is your work on Kindle Unlimited?
LM Ford: Yes, all of it.
Orville: What are you currently working on (when will it be available)
LM Ford: I am currently working on the third book in the Movie Madness Mystery Series, which will not be available until 2023.
Orville: Who is your target audience?
LM Ford: Since I have an eclectic interest in writing myself, I wouldn’t want to exclude anyone.
Orville: What advice would you give a young person planning a writing career?
LM Ford: Be realistic, but never give up your dreams.
Orville: Do you think there are writing themes that are underrepresented.
LM Ford: Much of the traditional market seems driven by what’s selling, so at any given time, there may be some themes and genres that don’t get much representation.
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The Great Cracker Challenge
Bullying Story
I was in first grade and we had a young substitute teacher spend a few days with us. I can’t remember her name, or what she looked like. All I remember is she took us outside and we stood in a line. She gave us several saltine crackers. She said for us to eat the crackers and the first one who could whistle got a prize.
I was shy at that age, and backward, having spent all my life prior to school, on a family farm. I was standing next to a boy, Tommy Morris, who I didn’t know well. He would, over the next few years, become my biggest bully and my cause for my greatest achievement.
We ate the crackers, and I whistled before anyone else. I was so proud of that accomplishment. The young teacher came over and asked if I had been the one to whistle. Before I could answer, Tommy said it was he who had whistled.
He lied. He won the prize.
Had I confronted him, I wonder what my life would have been like? I didn’t; I shrunk into the background while he rose to the class leader.
I learned valuable lessons that day
1. Life is not fair
2. I need to stand up for who I am
3. I need to defend my own accomplishments
Those lessons didn’t immediately come to me. It took years.
WARNING: DO NOT EAT CRACKERS AND WHISTLE. It was not a good idea way back when, and it is a worse idea now.
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Child of the Earth
By Orville Burch
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Entropy
By Orville Burch
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What is Real
By Orville Burch
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Old Souls Love Differently
By Orville Burch
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To Learn About Me
By Orville Burch
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My Only Light
By Orville Burch
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Find Me
By Orville Burch
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Author To Author Interview
Orville Burch
To
Sabrine Elouali
Orville: How long have you been writing?
Sabrine: Since I was around 10 years old, I started off writing random stories but then I began writing poetry and have stuck to that genre ever since.
Orville: What got you interested in writing?
Sabrine: It’s hard to say really, I’ve always been a lover of writing, the English language and reading so I suppose it was only natural that I’d end up writing somehow.
Orville: How many books do you have published?
Sabrine: I have one book that’s self-published at the moment, but I also have a second book that’s all ready to go - I just haven’t officially published it yet!
Orville: Are your books self-published or traditionally published?
Sabrine: My first book is self published and I’m torn on whether I should try to traditionally publish my second.
Orville: Where can the reader find your books?
Sabrine: My book can be found on all worldwide Amazon platforms, the link is: https://amzn.to/2SXySXz
Orville: Are you a plotter or pantser?
Sabrine: Definitely a plotter I think, I always have to have everything planned out and structured right, I’m kind of a perfectionist!
Orville: What makes your writing unique?
Sabrine: My writing is very personal and comes from the most vulnerable of places. I don’t hold back with my words and try to convey everything I feel into my writing.
Orville: What are your hobbies outside of writing?
Sabrine: I absolutely love music, so I’m always listening to it, can’t go a day without it. I’m also into watching thrillers and documentaries in my spare time. I just love puzzles and having to figure things out, as well as cliffhangers and a good hook.
Orville: Who was the greatest influence in your writing career?
Sabrine: I would say it’s a what rather than a who. My personal struggles had the most influence with my writing, I don’t believe I’d be the person I am today if I hadn’t gone through those hardships. And I certainly don’t think my writing would be the same at all.
Orville: Do you have a favorite quote?
Sabrine: I used to hate quotes when I was in the darkest place in my life, I thought they were all overly positive and cliché but now I love them! One of my favorite quotes would probably have to be: “Whether you think you can, or think you can’t - you’re right” it just shows how much power and control we actually have over our lives and situations when it can sometimes feel like the complete opposite.
Orville: What genre do you write?
Sabrine: I write poetry
Orville: What are your book titles?
Sabrine: My first book is called “Where darkness meets light” and my second upcoming book is called “The shadows speak”
Orville: Is your work on Kindle Unlimited?
Sabrine: Yes! My work is available on Kindle Unlimited
Orville: What are you currently working on (when will it be available)?
Sabrine: I’m currently in the midst of deciding whether to self publish or traditionally publish my second book, it’ll hopefully be available by the end of the year but possibly early 2023.
Orville: Who is your target audience?
Sabrine: My target audience is anyone who’s gone through struggles and hard times with their mental health, people looking for comfort, understanding and advice. As well as those who wish to learn more about the realities of how it feels to live and experience mental illness.
Orville: What advice would you give a young person planning a writing career?
Sabrine: Just put your heart into it and don’t stop trying. If you’ve put your all into creating something and fully believe in it, that’s 90% of the battle.
Orville: Do you think there are writing themes that are underrepresented?
Sabrine: I definitely feel like the topic of mental health is still somewhat under wraps and stigmatized so I hope my books can contribute to opening up the conversation and understanding of mental health issues.
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FULL INTERVIEW WITH
AUTHOR Juliette Willows
Orville: Tell us about yourself:
Juliette: Juliette Willows is a nom de plume I created. There’s quite a story behind it. It started off with me wanting a pen name that “sounded romantic,” seeing as I want to write romance. You’ll enjoy this first part, Doc, seeing as you’re a fan of the paranormal.
Growing up, the house I lived in was haunted. Actively so. Our main “resident” was a girl (sometimes a child, sometimes an adult) we named Juliette. We were all quite fond of her. So I borrowed her name.
Ever since I was a child, I’ve always been obsessed with willows. Weeping willows, pussy willows, even the name Willow. I never knew why. My mother recently told me a story she’d kept secret for over 40 years, but I have permission to talk about it, so I’ll tell you all.
Before she had me, my mother was raped and almost killed. She never reported the crime, even when she miscarried at 4 months, alone on a deserted beach. The baby was a girl. She named her Willow, and buried her in the forest. There are other factors that fall into this, but now I wear the name proudly (just like the willow bough tattoo around my forearm) - for the sister I never knew I had, who died so I could live.
Orville: How long have you been writing?
Juliette: I’ve been writing ‘seriously’ for about five or six years, I would say. When my daughter left for university, and I found myself a very young empty nester. But I’ve always wanted to write, and I wrote my first real poem at the age of 13. I know it by heart, to this day.
Orville: What got you interested in writing?
Juliette: I think reading got me interested in writing. I would devour all these amazing stories that would allow me to just disappear from my life. The best form of escapism, especially when life isn’t the best it could be. I wanted to be able to do that for someone, too. Write stories that would let them escape for a little while, and be transported to other places.
Orville: How many books do you have published?
Juliette: So far, the only novel I’ve published is The Lady Phoenix. I did have a poetry book on Amazon (I believe it’s still visible), but I’ve pulled it because, in all honesty, it was rushed, and is horrible. Filled with mistakes, and horrific formatting. You live and you learn, or so they say. I plan on republishing it once it’s had a complete overhaul.
Orville: Are your books self-published or traditionally published?
Juliette: The Lady Phoenix is self-published. I had my heart set on one particular agent, and I told myself if he said no, I would self-publish. He didn’t say anything at all, and so, my book baby was sent out into the big bad world.
That being said, it’s still a dream to have at least one book traditionally published, so I plan on trying again with the next novel (and the next, until someone says yes to something).
Orville: Where can the reader find your books (include a link)?
Juliette: My book is available in multiple places, so the best way to find it is by clicking on my website where I have the links to many of the places it can be found. (I’m still fighting with Amazon to link the versions, so if the reader is looking for the eBook version, they’ll have to click on my name on Amazon to see it.)
http://juliettewillows.com/
Orville: Are you a plotter or pantser?
Juliette: This one is easy, I’m a pantser, through and through. I’ll often have a general idea of where I want to take the story, but for the most part, the characters tell me what to write. I know that might sound silly – “they’re not real, they’re make-believe characters” – but to me, they’re real. They’re living, breathing, feeling beings, and they know their story better than I do, so I tend to let them lead the way.
Orville: What makes your writing unique?
Juliette: I don’t know that anything is truly unique anymore, in the way that every theme/idea has been done, and done, and done. But it’s not so much about finding something that’s never been written about before, and more about what the particular story looks like through my eyes. I think we’re all unique individuals; ten of us could be given the same topic to write about and come out with ten different, unique versions of the same story.
Orville: What are your hobbies outside of writing?
Juliette: Hobbies? What are those? Hahaha Honestly, between writing, my business, and my day job (unfortunately, I’m not yet at the point of not needing one), I don’t have much time left over for hobbies these days. Although I try to read as much as I can (it’s never as much as I’d like to), I enjoy singing, designing (interiors – I have a diploma in interior design that mostly collects dust), and love horseback riding. I haven’t been in a couple of years, and I miss it terribly.
Orville: Who was the greatest influence in your writing career?
Juliette: My greatest influence will always be the Queen of Romance herself, Nora Roberts. There are many amazing authors out there, both old and new, traditional and indie, but she will always be my number one.
Orville: Do you have a favorite quote?
Juliette: Do song lyrics count? There are so many, here are two.
“[Let’s] be the breeze that won’t stop blowing” – reminds me that no matter what, regardless of what comes by way, what obstacles are put in my path, I need to keep going. The breeze never stops blowing; sometimes it’s hard to feel, but it’s always there. (Young, Alive, and in Love - by Tim Hicks)
“Some believe in destiny and some believe in fate, but I believe that happiness is something we create.” – Although I do believe in fate and destiny to a certain degree, I do also believe we're the writers of our own stories, and that we’re the only ones responsible for our happiness (I talk about that in my upcoming non-fiction book, All Kinds of Happy Little Things: A Probably Flawed Guide to Finding Happiness.) It’s taken me a long time, and every day is still a work in progress, but I’ve finally accepted the fact that if I want something to happen in my life, I need to be the one to make it happen. (Something More - by Sugarland)
Orville: Tell me about your work:
Juliette: Besides writing, I’m also co-owner of a company I started with my best friend in January of 2020. Affinity Writing & Editing Services (AWES) is still technically in its infancy, given the state of the world, but I’m so proud of the work we’ve been able to do so far, and I look forward to many years to come. It’s my goal to grow in the next twelve months, hopefully to the point where we might have to bring on another editor to help out (fingers crossed!). Before the summer of 2024, it’s my goal to be writing and working AWES full time.
Orville What genre do you write?
Juliette: I refuse to niche myself, which I understand is probably a mistake, but I write multiple genres. Romance is something they all have in common, however, as I’m a sucker for a happy ever after.
The Lady Phoenix is a romantic thriller, but the second book in the series will be more of a drama (and also LGBTQ+). My current fiction WIP is an urban fantasy with a heavy dose of…er…the kind of stuff I won’t allow my mother to read. And then, of course, my non-fiction, as I mentioned above. This, however, will most likely be a one-off, as I much prefer letting my imagination run free in the land of make-believe.
Orville What are your book titles?
Juliette: My published book is The Lady Phoenix
Orville: Is your work on Kindle Unlimited?
Juliette: It is, yes.
Orville: What are you currently working on (when will it be available)?
Juliette: My two next publications will be:
(As mentioned earlier) All Kinds of Happy Little Things: A Probably Flawed Guide to Finding Happiness – I’m hoping to have this published before the end of 2022.
And, Author of Discord (to come in 2023)
Also coming up in the next couple of years will be: Kindred (book 1 of an urban fantasy trilogy based in New Orleans), and Birth Rite (title may change) - this was meant to also be part of a trilogy, but I believe I’ll be re-working it to be a standalone. This was the very first manuscript I finished, but the first draft is extremely rough and needs a complete overhaul. This one probably won’t be for everyone (mainly those who don’t love the ‘chosen one’ trope), and is based in the Midwest (USA) and Northern Ireland. (Also very much inspired by Nora Roberts.)
I would also love to have the second book in my Haven Shore series (following The Lady Phoenix) published before the Blue Bird Book Tour in the summer of 2024. I’m not sure if I’ll meet that goal, but I’ll try my best!
Orville: Who is your target audience?
Juliette: My target audience is definitely adult. I think anyone who might have enjoyed the Virgin River series (also on Netflix) might also enjoy The Lady Phoenix and what will follow in that series. I do touch on sensitive topics and use some foul language and explicit sex scenes, so it’s definitely not for everyone.
Orville: What advice would you give a young person planning a writing career?
Juliette: I think the best advice I can give to a young person is “don’t wait.” Don’t wait for ‘one day’ or ‘someday’ – the timing will never be just right, perfection is unattainable. If you want to write, then write!
The next piece of advice is probably the most important one: ‘Don’t cut corners.’ Meaning, don’t skip any of the important steps. If they’re planning to go the traditional route, most of the steps are covered. But if they’re planning to go indie, it’s SO important to not cheap out. Yes, it can get expensive, but if this is something they’re serious about, then they need to treat it as such. Don’t skip the editors. Don’t skip the formatting. Don’t skip the beta readers, or the critique partners, or the proofreaders. Every step matters if you’re going to put out the best version of your work.
Even in doing so, things can still be missed (as I’ve found out). I’m currently working to fix some missed errors in The Lady Phoenix so I can republish a more refined version.
Orville: Do you think there are writing themes that are underrepresented?
Juliette: Honestly, I don’t believe so. There are so many writers out there writing stories from every possible theme. Especially these days, I think every world issue, every movement, every belief, or lack thereof, and everything in between, can be found in literature. Whether fiction or nonfiction, there’s something for everyone.
The issue of underrepresentation comes with lack of marketing (something I’m having trouble with, myself), and I feel that’s something many of us could afford to get better at doing.
Orville: Share anything you want to have included
Juliette: I’m going to veer off slightly with this one, and talk about Twitter, since this is the platform this is being shared on.
It’s common knowledge that the writing community is THE place to be if you’re anyone in the writing or reading world. It’s also pretty common knowledge that we like to have fun over here, and that fun isn’t always centered around the business of writing.
That being said, I’d like to emphasize the importance of being respectful, especially with someone you don’t know, or have no previous rapport with. People might see all colors of flirting between a bouquet of different people – these people almost always have previous rapport.
Don’t assume to know someone, someone’s personal life, or the motives behind anything they say or do online, simply by what you see (or think you see) on Twitter. We all carry burdens, we all walk through our own storms, most of which are not shared.
This isn’t high school; we are all adults, and, for the most part, chasing the same goal: to gain some level of success as a writer. So let’s check the drama at the virtual door, get along, and have fun while chasing those dreams
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INTERVIEW
J Lynne
Orville: How long have you been writing?
J Lynne: I’ve been writing since a child. My earliest memory is writing a play with a classmate in the fourth grade. The play was about a couple of kids who wanted to investigate a haunted mansion with flickering lights.
Orville: What got you interested in writing?
J Lynne: Writing was a great outlet for me growing up. I could work out my emotions and I felt safe using that medium.
Orville: How many books do you have published?
J Lynne: I have three short stories and one novella published. My novella is the only book that is available in paperback. I did start a story on Kindle Vella.
Orville: Are your books self-published or traditionally published?
J Lynne: I self-published my books.
Orville: Where can the reader find your books?
J Lynne: My books are available on Amazon. My Amazon author page is http://amazon.com/author/j_lynne
Orville: Are you a plotter or pantser?
J Lynne: I lean toward being a plotter, but I’ve never plotted out the entire story before writing it. I will outline a chapter to help guide me, but then I allow the characters to take me where they need to be. And they don’t always like to follow my outline.
Orville: What genre do you write?
J Lynne: Horror is my preferred genre, along with paranormal and dark fantasy.
Orville: What are your book titles?
J Lynne: Everlasting Apple
Taken
Project Dodge
Breathe (Kindle Vella)
Lurking
Orville: Is your work on Kindle Unlimited?
J Lynne: Yes, it is.
Orville: What are you currently working on (and when will it be available)?
J Lynne: I’m working on a novella that explores the idea of getting everything you want with a simple wish. It starts with an offhand comment that was uttered in anger. Something that she never would’ve said had she known it would come true. I don’t have an exact release date, but it will be available in 2023. After, I want to get back to writing my Kindle Vella story Breathe. I love spirits and ghosts and that story has plenty.
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Review of J. Lynne
Lurking
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INTERVIEW
Amanda King
Orville: How long have you been writing?
Amanda: I've loved writing as long as I've loved reading, so going on about 3 decades now, lol. But I only started to get serious about writing about 4 years ago.
Orville: What got you interested in writing?
Amanda: Hard to say. I've always considered myself a creative person and I'm an avid reader. I guess ultimately it's the escapism fiction provides. Writing permits me to delve deeper into a fantastical world than I can ever get simply from reading. I just have to hope other readers will enjoy my worlds as much as I do.
Orville: How many books do you have published?
Amanda: I just have the one out right now. My other writing projects are on hold while I finish revising my first full-length novel.
Orville: Are your books self-published or traditionally published?
Amanda: My current book is self-published through Amazon, but I hope to publish my current WIP traditionally.
Orville: Where can the reader find your books (include a link)?
Amanda: Paperback and eBook editions are available through most Amazon marketplaces. May 2023 I'm going to look at options for broadening the distribution, but for now people can find it here:
https://amazon.com/Souls-Broken-Damned-Twisted-Tales-ebook/dp/B09RZF1HZM/ref=mp_s_a_1_1crid=3HDKRGL3UVN9Y&keywords=souls+of+the+broken+and+the+damned&qid=1656166481&sprefix=souls+of+the+broken+and+the+damned+%2Caps%2C188&sr=8-1
Orville: Are you a plotter or pantser?
Amanda: Now that I'm completing my first novel, I'm embracing the mantle of plotter. So far as idea generation and first drafts go, I tend toward pantsing. But once I have a clear idea of the story I want to tell, it works better for me to at least roughly plot it out.
Orville: What are your hobbies outside of writing?
Amanda: I have too many! Hiking, motorcycling, mechanics, robotics and app development, economics and investing to name a few. Admittedly I'm a bit of a workaholic though, so as many interests as I have, I spend most of my free time reading, writing, or otherwise developing my craft.
Orville: Who was the greatest influence in your writing career?
Amanda: To date, another author Holly Lisle @hollylisle . It was the podcast her and her daughter Rebecca Galardo @rebeccagalardo hosted (Alone in a Room with Invisible People @aiarwip ) that gave me the confidence to take writing seriously. I continue to benefit from her writing classes and the amazing writing community she's built.
Orville: What genre do you write?
Amanda: Dark speculative fiction, generally along the lines of urban fantasy, or supernatural thriller/suspense. I'm hesitant to say horror, but my work is not for kids or the faint of heart. I generally avoid graphic descriptions of gore, but there are few sensitive topics I will shy away from. I'm also not into writing high fantasy or hard sci-fi.
Orville: What are your book titles?
Amanda: Souls of the Broken and the Damned. Subscribers to my monthly newsletter also have exclusive access to "Tempting Ride," a flash story that won't be available to anyone other than my subscribers until I publish my next anthology.
Orville: Is your work on Kindle Unlimited?
Amanda: Yes. That may change May 2023, but for now, yes it is.
Orville: What are you currently working on (when will it be available)?
Amanda: My current WIP is a supernatural thriller. I'm staying fairly close lipped about it because I do want to try and go the traditional publishing route with it, but at its core, it's a love story between a psychopath and a young woman trying to understand her power. I hope to be querying agents next summer, so it’ll be a while before it's out.
Orville: Who is your target audience?
Amanda: Those who see beauty in the darkness, root for the villain, and love an antihero. 18+!
Orville: What advice would you give a young person planning a writing career?
Amanda: If you love it, pursue it relentlessly and ignore any who say it's pointless. But it takes time, and dedication to find success.
Orville: Is there anything else you would like to share with your readers?
Amanda: I issue a monthly newsletter with the most informative news about my projects, book recommendations, discounts, etc. http://ak-king.com/subscribe
I'm also on Facebook, TikTok and Instagram at either @AKKingAuthor
or @AKKing_Author, but Twitter is where I'm presently most active.
If folks are interested, I also gave an interview to @gobbldgook on his podcast Between the Lines with Randy Lacey (S.1 E.13) available on most podcast platforms including Spotify
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