#ThisorThatThursday Author Interview with J. P. McLean

I’d like to welcome J. P. McLean back to the blog for #ThisorThatThursday!

Favorite thing that you always make time for:

Responding to reader’s comments. I love hearing their feedback on the books and answering their questions.

The thing you’ll always do just about anything to avoid:

Cold calling anyone to promote my books. This is exactly why I hired a publicist! (Shout out to Mickey Mikkelson of Creative Edge publicity!!) It was the best career move I’ve ever made.

Things you need when you’re in your writing cave:

Though there are times when I can tune out the outside world, I prefer a quiet setting. Coffee is a given, but I’ll take tea in the afternoons.

Things that distract you from writing:

There’s nothing worse than a phone ringing, construction noise, or a car alarm. I’ve been known to unplug the landline and turn off the volume on my cellphone when I’m writing. There’s not much to be done about the other two distractions—construction noise and car alarms—but I don’t often have to deal with them. Thankfully!

The thing you like most about being a writer:

The flexibility to write anywhere, anytime. I can take my laptop on the ferry or into any waiting room and get words down.

The thing you like least about being a writer:

Having to stop when I’m on a roll. But life happens and I can’t go all day without prepping a meal.

Things you will run to the store for in the middle of the night:

Potato chips. Unfortunately, there are no stores here (Denman Island) that are open in the middle of the night. But perhaps that’s a good thing!

Things you never put on your shopping list:

Bottled water, jam, zucchini, and salmon. We have delicious well water, a sister who makes us yummy jams, porch pirates who leave zucchini in the middle of the night, and my husband loves to fish, so we usually have enough salmon to enjoy.

The coolest thing you’ve bought online:

Lee Valley tomato wapper. Actually, it’s called a European Tomato Press, but I call it a wapper because that describes the sound it makes when you crank the handle. It’s made short work of my roasted tomato and garlic sauce.

https://www.leevalley.com/en-ca/shop/kitchen/kitchen-tools/presses-and-mashers/food-processors/44040-european-tomato-press?item=EV101

The thing you wished you’d never bought.

Linen shirts. I love linen and couldn’t resist the online photos, but I should have known better. The shirts didn’t fit, and the quality was terrible. But all is not lost. I’m going to make napkins out of them.

The thing that you will most remember about your writing life:

The passion I have for creating stories. It was a surprise to me to discover how much I love writing. I never tire of tucking into my writing nook and letting my imagination loose.

Something in your writing life that you wish you could do over:

I wish I’d started writing years earlier. I may not have written the same stories, but I’m sure I would have found the passion and written even more books.

Something you wanted to be when you were a kid:

A princess. Man, was I fooled. I think it was the pointy hat with the veils that I saw in animated films when I was a kid. https://historicalhoney.com/truth-princess-hat/

Something you do that you never dreamed you’d do:

Scuba diving, which I don’t do as much as I’d like. It was my husband’s idea to get certified, and I love the sport, especially in warm Caribbean waters. Not so much where I live in the Pacific Northwest, but only because I’m a wimp in cold water.

Your best recipe:

Roasted tomato and garlic sauce, which is super simple. Core and quarter enough fresh tomatoes to fill a turkey roaster. Add a head of garlic cloves, salt and pepper to taste, and drizzle olive oil over top. Roast at 350 and stir every hour or so until reduced by 2/3. The skins will blacken, which adds tons of concentrated flavour to mix. When cooled, pass it through a press. Add basil for a tasty pasta sauce, or add milk/cream for a wonderful tomato soup.

Something that didn’t turn out like you planned when you made it:

Oh, so many! Where to start?

Things you always put in your books:

Humour. Even my darker-themed books need a little levity.

Things you never put in your books:

I can’t say “never” but I’d avoid at all costs putting a pet in a situation where they were abused.

People you’d like to invite to dinner (living):

Rick Mercer (http://www.rickmercer.com/). He’s a Canadian comedian, author, and political satirist. He performs clever rants with razor sharp wit and his comedy makes me laugh out loud.

People you’d cancel dinner on:

Almost any politician.

The funniest thing that happened to you in an airport:

I was on a layover in Calgary and decided I had time enough to grab a meal, but forgot about the time difference. Panic set in when I heard my name called over the loudspeaker in one of those last call for boarding messages. I dropped cash on the table and raced to the gate. Happily, I caught my flight, but it took ages to catch my breath and settle my heart.

The most embarrassing thing that happened to you in an airport:

My husband and I were going to the Cayman Islands when my luggage didn’t pass muster on the x-ray belt. An agent called me aside and searched my bag. She asked me a few times if I’d packed the bag myself, which I had. She put it through the x-ray machine twice before dumping everything out of it. I couldn’t understand what she was looking for, and she wouldn’t tell me, but she finally found a small penknife in an outside pocket that had been travelling around unbeknownst to me for years. It was mortifying, especially as I had to repack everything in front of an audience.

The best job you ever had:

I’m probably being repetitive with this answer, but the best job I’ve ever had is this writing gig. I still get excited by the prospect of a few hours to myself to get words down, and hope I never grow tired of it.

The worst job you ever had:

Staffing in a hospital. And that was long before the current staff shortages. That staffing job would be a nightmare right now.

The one thing you cook/bake that is better than a restaurant dish:

Spaghetti and meatballs. It’s my mom’s meatball recipe and everyone I serve it to loves it. (Either that or they’re afraid to tell me they don’t care for it!)

The one thing you cooked/baked that turned out to be an epic disaster:

Deep-dish pizza. It turned into a pizza casserole. Had to eat it from a bowl. Memorable in all the wrong ways.

About JP

Short bio: JP (Jo-Anne) McLean is a bestselling author of urban fantasy and supernatural thrillers. She is a Global Book Award winner, a CIBA and Page Turner Award finalist, and has received honours from the Eric Hoffer Book Awards, the Wishing Shelf Book Awards, the NIEA Awards, and the Whistler independent Book Awards. She lives on Canada’s West Coast.

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#ThisorThatThursday Author Interview with M. A. Monnin

I’d like to welcome author M. A. Monnin to the blog for #ThisorThatThursday.

A few of your favorite fall traditions: Some of my favorite fall activities are raking leaves, sitting by the firepit with a glass of wine, and watching Chiefs games.

Something autumn-related that you’ll never do again: Go to a professional Haunted House! They’re too scary for me. My kids love them.

Favorite fall treat: I make a mix of candy corn, peanuts, and fall-colored M&Ms. The mix looks pretty in a bowl and tastes delicious.

A fall treat that makes you gag: No pumpkin spice coffee for me, thanks.

Something you’ll only do in the fall: I can’t say rake leaves, because the neighbors have pin oaks and they fall all winter long into spring. So it’ll have to be carve pumpkins. I love jack o’lanterns.

Something you’d never do in the fall season: I’d never travel to the Caribbean in fall. Hurricanes!

Favorite autumn beverage: Hot buttered rum, according to an old Southern Living recipe: a cup of hot apple cider with a shot of Captain Morgan’s Spiced Rum, topped with a sliver of butter.

A drink that gives you a sour face: Moscow mules. For me, a little ginger goes a long way.

Favorite fall smell: The scent of fallen leaves. They smell cozy and warm to me.

Something that makes you hold your nose: Fallen hedge apples, also known as Osage oranges. The squirrels love them, but any that they leave behind stink to high Heaven.

Best thing you ever cooked/baked in the autumn: I make a wonderful pecan-orange pie.

Your worst kitchen disaster: Had to be that Thanksgiving when I had the whole family at my house and ordered the meal from a store like my mother did. Only I ordered from a different store, and while her meal was always fully cooked and piping hot when they picked it up on Thanksgiving morning, my turkey and fixings were frozen solid! I did learn that if you have enough sides, you can comfortably feed 12 people on a one pound turkey loaf.

Favorite place you spent a fall day: Arrowhead Stadium watching the Kansas City Chiefs play. Loudest stadium in the country.

The worst place to spend a fall day: That would have to be Phoenix Arizona. We loved Phoenix and lived there for one year when my husband was stationed at Luke AFB, but I really missed the changing color of leaves.

Funniest pumpkin-carving story: This is my favorite, rather than the funniest. For a couple of years, our entire family and several friends got together to carve pumpkins for our local charity Pumpkin Parade. I called our grouping the Monnin Family Plot. Two of my favorite designs were my husband’s fleur-de-lis and my son-in-law’s Christopher Walken.

Your worst pumpkin-carving story: That would have to be the time I tried to do like my friend and neighbor did and attempted to make a snake ala Martha Stewart. My friend’s was the highlight of the neighborhood, with twelve jack o’lanterns strung together with white Christmas lights. I got tired after carving three. Mine was more of an inch worm.

Your best Halloween costume: My favorite costume is a gypsy. I love wearing a full flouncy skirt and layering on scarves and tons of jewelry. I even have a crystal ball that I keep close by in case any little ones want their fortune told. My husband is from Louisiana, and I have a large selection of Mardi Gras masks that I can choose from.

A Halloween costume that wasn’t quite what you imagined: That would be the year I decided to go as a devil, wearing a Venetian leather mask we’d picked up, a red cape and a plastic pitchfork. It was only when I saw photos later that I realized I’d put on my reversible cape black side out instead of red, so I just looked . . . odd.

Favorite pumpkin spice item: pumpkin bread.

Something that should never be pumpkin-spice flavored: Coffee!

About M. A.

M. A. Monnin is the author of Death In The Aegean, the first in the Stefanie Adams Intrepid Traveler Mystery Series. Her short stories have appeared in Anthony-Award-winning anthology Mystery Most Edible, Black Cat Mystery Magazine and Black Cat Weekly, and pulp anthology All That Weird Jazz. An avocational archaeologist and AF veteran, her non-fiction articles cover Victorian reception of Ancient Egypt, gardening, and detective fiction.

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#ThisorThatThursday Author Interview with Allison Brook

I’d like to welcome the fabulous Allison Brook (Marilyn Levinson) to the blog to talk about her latest book.

Favorite thing that you always make time for: email, talking to my grandkids, reading

The thing you’ll always do just about anything to avoid: writing. Well, only for a brief time, until I get into my writing groove.

Things you need when you’re in your writing cave: reading glasses and wrist brace

Things that distract you from writing: email, phone calls

The thing you like most about being a writer: readers telling me how much they like my books; finishing a book.

The thing you like least about being a writer: sitting down each day to write. Once I get started I'm all right. All the promotion I have to do for each book.

Things you will run to the store for in the middle of the night: Nothing. I have enough discipline to wait till morning.:)

Things you never put on your shopping list: cake, soda.

The thing that you will most remember about your writing life: the camaraderie and generosity of my fellow writers; comments from readers who love my characters and my books

Something in your writing life that you wish you could do over: I wish it hadn't taken so long for me to get established as an author, though I don't know what I could have done differently.

Something you’re really good at: finding outlets on social media to promote my books

Something you never learned how to do: truly understand and buy stocks and bonds on my own.

Something you wanted to be when you were a kid: a ballerina

Something you do that you never dreamed you’d do: keep on writing at my age.

Your best recipe: I've several: simple blueberry cake; apricot chicken; broccoli and cheese casserole; honey-soy sauce salmon

Something that didn’t turn out like you planned when you made it: I made a goose, and it was sooo very fatty.

Things you always put in your books: three-dimensional characters; characters relationships; a romantic interest; usually a dog or a cat; murder.

Things you never put in your books: torture; physical cruelty; death of my protagonist.

Favorite things to do: reading, crossword puzzles, yoga, sudoku, chatting on FaceTime with my grandkids.

Things you’d run through a fire or eat bugs to get out of doing: something new that I've never done before

About Allison:

"I was a bookworm from the moment I learned how to read. I devoured Nancy Drews, Judy Boltons, and Trixie Beldons – sometimes two books in one day. Was it any wonder I ended up writing mysteries?

Growing up in Brooklyn, New York, I dreamed of becoming a ballerina or a writer. I practiced my pirouettes and penned short stories. My family moved to Long Island, where I continued to write stories until I was discouraged by a high school English teacher.

Turned off to writing, I continued to read voraciously in college and concentrated on my major, Spanish. I studied in Mexico and Spain, intent on becoming fluent in the language. I taught high school Spanish, married my dentist husband, and we started a family. When our two sons were small, I found myself drawn back to writing fiction.

A writer is a writer forever. We may have more than our share of disappointments, but the rewards are many – knowing you bring joy to readers; sharing the camaraderie and support of your fellow scribes. Writing is a way of life, one I wouldn’t relinquish for anything.

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#ThisorThatThursday Author Interview with Rose Kerr

I’d like to welcome the fabulous Rose Kerr to the blog for #ThisorThatThursday!

A few of your favorite things:

Books, my wireless headphones, and handprints made by my kids and grandkids.

Things you need to throw out:

Blurry photos (who are those people?).

Things you need for your writing sessions:

An outline, my computer, a notebook and pen, instrumental music playing, and my wireless headphones.

Things that hamper your writing:

Not knowing what’s going to happen. I need to outline my work before I write, otherwise it doesn’t happen.

Things you love about writing:

Making up characters and putting them in challenging situations.

I love to research all kinds of different things.

Things you hate about writing:

Fiddling with grammar and punctuation. Thank goodness there are software programs to help and excellent editors.

Favorite foods:

Pizza, my lasagna, and Rappie Pie (a traditional Acadian dish). I’m Acadian and when I go back to visit my family in Nova Scotia, Rappie Pie is one of the meals we have at least once or twice.

Things that make you want to gag:

Liver and onions.

Favorite smell:

Wild roses and the smell of the ocean. In the summer, in Nova Scotia, wild roses grow in abundance and the ocean smells amazing. Combine the two and I’d buy all the candles!

Something that makes you hold your nose:

Wet hockey gear that’s been left in the bag. Yuck!

Last best thing you ate:

My lasagna.

Last thing you regret eating:

That bag of sour cream and onion chips.

The last thing you ordered online:

Pens and office supplies.

The last thing you regret buying:

Organizing bins that don’t fit the space. I’ve since used them elsewhere, but the original space still needs bins.

Favorite places you’ve been:

Boston, Australia, South Korea, Mexico. In Boston, my husband and I toured Fenway (twice!) and took in two ball games. In Australia, we visited with my brother and his family, South Korea was where my son and daughter-in-law were married, and Mexico was a fabulous place to relax and unwind.

Places you never want to go to again:

The mall on Christmas Eve! I’ve done that a few times and have vowed to never do it again.

Favorite books (or genre):

I love cozy mysteries but read other mysteries and thrillers. And I enjoy a good biography.

Books you wouldn’t buy:

I can’t read horror.

Favorite things to do:

Spending time with family, reading, walking, spending time in nature.

Things you’d run through a fire or eat bugs to get out of doing:

Going to the opera, just not my thing.

Best thing you’ve ever done:

Married my husband. He’s my best friend and biggest supporter.

Biggest mistake:

Finding the “perfect” time to start writing. Just start, there isn’t a perfect time.

The nicest thing a reader said to you:

I loved your book! I couldn’t put it down!

The craziest thing a reader said to you:

I’ve always wanted to write a book. It must be so easy.

About Rose

Rose Kerr lived most of her adult life in small towns. She and her husband raised their family in a small town in Northern Ontario, on the shores of Lake Superior. Currently, they live in Southern Ontario with their dog, Jake. Rose is a member of Sisters in Crime, the Guppy Online Chapter of Sisters in Crime, and Crime Writers of Canada. For more info visit: www.rosekerr.com

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#ThisorThatAuthorInterview with Belinda Betker

I’d like to welcome Belinda Betker to the blog for #ThisorThatThursday!

A few of your favorite things: poetry books, original artworks, and almost all genres of music

Things you need to throw out: I recycle, repurpose, reuse as much as possible, but I do need to reduce the amount of paper I keep, and random other things I keep ‘just in case’ they might be useful some day

Things you need for your writing sessions: my favorite refillable blue ink pens; journals, preferably with ruled lines and built-in ribbon page marker; and really great music (especially CBC’s “After Dark” programming hosted by Odario Williams)

Things that hamper your writing: getting in my own way by getting caught up in distractions rather than just getting straight to my office and journals and PC

Things you love about writing: the constant surprise of starting off with a specific poem idea in mind to write about, but having something else emerge that I like 

Things you hate about writing: nothing! I love writing, and everything about it, including exploring topics, getting details right, revising, editing, etc.

Hardest thing about being a writer: dedicating the amount of time to writing that I want to

Easiest thing about being a writer: just sitting down to do it

Favorite foods: potatoes in any form – baked, fried, mashed, roasted, etc.; popcorn; rye toast; home-made soups; all kinds of cheese

Things that make you want to gag: raw bananas (baked is fine), hot chilies, hot peppers

Favorite smell: star-gazer lilies

Something that makes you hold your nose: any burnt food

Something you like to do: read; write; word puzzles; listen to good music; attend concerts, live theatre, musicals, and dance performances; explore art galleries and museums

Something you wish you’d never done: wasted time by procrastinating

Last best thing you ate: home-made tomato soup from my own garden-fresh tomatoes

Last thing you regret eating: that too-sweet icing on a friend’s birthday cake

Things you’d walk a mile for: a visit with a good friend; a bento box lunch at my favourite Japanese restaurant; a trip to an outdoor pool in warm weather

Things that make you want to run screaming from the room: meaningless or inane conversations; racist, homophobic, and other discriminatory behaviours and language

Things you always put in your books: poems about lived experiences; connections to inner and outer worlds 

Things you never put in your books: gratuitous violence; hatred

Things to say to an author: I loved your poem(s)/book because …(be specific)

Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book: what do/does your poem(s) mean?

Favorite places you’ve been: boreal forest in autumn northern Saskatchewan; shoreline of any ocean; anywhere in Australia

Places you never want to go to again: any place where I got lost and felt afraid

#ThisorThatThursday Author Interview with D. C. Gomez

I’d like to welcome author, D. C. Gomez, back to the blog.

Favorite thing to do when you have free time: When I have free time, my favorite thing to do is read. Getting lost in a book for a couple of hours is truly a luxury to me.

The thing you’ll always move to the bottom of your to do list: The thing I would move to the bottom of my list is probably a tied between running the vacuum and cutting the grass. While they are both equally necessary in many of our homes, neither is something that I remotely enjoy.

Things you need when you’re in your writing cave: During my writing process, I usually make brief notes to myself. A necessary for me is a post-it note. On any giving period, I would have the small square or the 5 by 7 ones scattered all over my house.

Things that distract you from writing: Because I write in my living room, having the TV on is very distracting to me. Instead of writing, I would get lost in what is going on the screen. It’s also a reason I don’t have white noise in the house while I write.

Hardest thing about being a writer: The hardest thing about being a write is managing my time. With so many things that we handled, it's overwhelming to get everything done on time. Being very aware of our commitments and learning when to ask for help are crucial for any author.

The easiest thing about being a writer: For me, the easiest thing about being a writer is starting a new project. Working on developing the situation and experimenting with the voices of the characters is the most exciting thing for me.

The coolest thing you’ve bought online: I’m addicted to the online store Uncommon Goods. They have unique gifts for every occasion. I recently bought my best friend a kit for making flaming drinks. Super exciting.

The thing you wished you’d never bought: As an Amazon love, I buy tons of things online. One out of ten is usually a failed purchased. I recently bought a pair of “business” dress pants that turned out to be a little see-though. I was not happy with that purchased at all.

Favorite snacks: Fresh tropical fruits are my favorite snacks. If that means slices of mango or other kind is amazing. I also have seasonal fruits easily available in my kitchen.

Things that make you want to gag: To this day, I cannot stand eggplants or okra. I can almost tolerate fried okra, since it’s covered in batter and deep friend, but not all the time.

Favorite places you’ve been:: I love traveling. Discovering new locations and things to do is one of my passions. To this day, New York City is one of my favorite places to be. I love the energy of the city and how accessible everything is.

Places you never want to go to again: After several experiences in the desert, I’m crossing them out of my locations to explore. After a long exposure to the sun, I break out. So anytime I can avoid it, I do.

Best thing you’ve ever done: Six years ago, I coordinated a pilgrimage to the Holy Land for my youth group and a few adults. To this day, people are talking about that trip and all the fun they had and how much it moved them.

Biggest mistake: Biggest mistake was probably signing up for the military airborne school. In my twenties, I thought the idea of jumping out of planes was amazing. Unfortunately, I found out quickly that I’m seriously terrified of heights. That was a very short dream of mine.

The coolest person you’ve ever met. The coolest person I have met is Deepak Chopra. He is currently the founder of the Chopra Center. Reading Deepak’s books is a transforming experience but being able to listen to him speak live is just mind blowing. I highly recommend it to everyone.

The celebrity who didn’t look like he/she did in pictures/video: Back when I was in college, I had the opportunity to meet Mark Anthony, the Latin Salsa singer. As a huge fan of his music, it thrilled me to meet him. They did not prepare me to see that I was taller than he was. That was very shocking.

The nicest thing a reader said to you: The nicest thing a reader said to me recently is that they read my devotionals every day. As a multi-genre author, is fun that my readership is connecting to my non-fiction books and my fictions.

The craziest thing a reader said to you: During my first convention, I was promoting Death’s Intern. This is the story of Isis, who is an army veteran, and at the beginning of the book, she knows nothing about magic. As the story progress they introduced her to all sorts of magical elements and beings. A reader came up to me after reading the book and asked me if I was following him around taking notes, because the book was truly his life.

The most exciting thing about your writing life: To this day, being able to connect with readers during live events is still one of the most exciting things in my writing life. Being able to answer questions or just heard how they feel about the characters is still mind blowing.

The one thing you wish you could do over in your writing life: The one thing I wish I could do over is learn about ads and promotion sooner. I allowed my fears to get in the way and waited too long to market my books.

About D. C.

D. C. Gomez is an award winner, USA Today Best-selling Author, public speaker, mentor and podcaster. She writes in multiple genres from Urban Fantasy, Contemporary Lit, YA, Children’s Books, and Devotionals. She has a quirky and at times dark sense of humor that comes across her different books.

When D.C. is not creating her stories, she works with Authors and Aspiring Authors to create their own books. Her passion is to help others achieved their dreams in their writing journey.

D.C. has an undergraduate degree in Film and Television from NYU.  After college, she joined the US Army, where she proudly served for four years. Born in the Dominican Republic and raised in New England, she now calls Texas her new adoptive home.

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#ThisorThatThursday Author Interview with Cyndi Brec

I’d like to welcome author Cyndi Brec to the blog for #ThisorThatThursday.

A few of your favorite things: Peach Snapple, puppies, and my family—but not necessarily in that order. Lol

Things you need to throw out: Left-sided socks because I always lose the right-sided ones.

Things you need for your writing sessions: My timer and a beverage. Initially, when I began writing I didn’t use a timer, but a dear author friend of mine introduced me to the power of a buzzer. I use the timer for writing sprints, it keeps me in the writing zone (otherwise, I can feel guilty for not getting stuff done around the home). Having that set time aside to write forces my brain to hone in on the specifics of a scene or a thought for an extended period of time.

Things that hamper your writing: Interruptions. People distracting me, conversations, and not having a white noise. Anything that keeps me from staying in the mood.

Things you love about writing: Okay, I’m a myth and legend geek. There are so many secrets hidden in myths and legends and that’s where my storytelling comes into play. I love tweaking and twisting existing tales and seeing a new story idea take shape. This approach puts a new spin on an old legend, brings about a fantastic surprise, and plot twist. I also believe developing depth of the world building, can deepen reader interaction with the characters. History teaches us and stories connect us to the richness this world has to offer us. In my opinion, a great story is one that a reader can engage with, but an excellent story is one that helps us see beyond ourselves and allows us to feel, sense the pain of the character, and grow—deepening our understanding of life.

Things you hate about writing: There’s never enough time to write. Plus, my ice melts before I’ve finished the scene.

Hardest thing about being a writer: The industry is subjective and there is no easy way to make everyone happy.

Easiest thing about being a writer: Diving into unchartered territories and creating whatever I want, even making the unbelievable believable. Writing is fun!

Words that describe you: Loyal, bubbly, friendly, cheerful, and it’s been mentioned a few times that I can be silly—I love to laugh.

Words that describe you, but you wish they didn’t: Oh, boy! I’m a talker, and at times, I may insert my foot in my mouth. I’m not perfect! Lol

Favorite foods: Any and all Mexican and Italian dishes.

Things that make you want to gag: Liver and onions.

Something you’re really good at: I’m really good at cooking main dishes—not that I follow recipes well.

Something you’re really bad at: Technology. I love the craft of writing but navigating even my computer is troublesome.

Things you always put in your books: Plot twists and unexpected turns for the character.

Things you never put in your books: Never is a strong word to use, but I try to not overly describe the setting and my characters in the story. I want to give the reader the opportunity to create the images in their mind.

Favorite places you’ve been: Austria, Germany, France, and Venice, Italy.

Places you never want to go to again: I truly love to travel, experience new things, and venture beyond my comfort zone, but that’s because I love seeing things through my husband’s eyes or my kids. For me, it’s more about the company you travel with than the location.

Favorite books (or genre): I enjoy fantasy (I’m a huge Victoria Aveyard fan) mystery, and historical romance. Some of my favorite books are Red Queen, A vow so Bold and Deadly, Shadow Fall, and the Twilight series.

Books you wouldn’t buy: I see what’s popular in the industry, read book reviews, and monitor what comments are made about a new book before I buy it. The first thing that will stop me from buying a book is several different people commenting ‘there is no character arc.’ The inner journey of a character over the course of a story should be powerful and unforgettable—the character should never be perfect.

People you’d like to invite to dinner (living): Author Steven King, Victoria Aveyard, and Stephanie Myer. These authors represent different genres, but it’d be intriguing to hear who influenced their writing and what fuels their story building.

People you’d cancel dinner on: Hannibal Lecter

The nicest thing a reader said to you: A reader once said to me, “I can’t believe you can conceptualize that plotline and write it out. It’s awesome work.”

The craziest thing a reader said to you: “I think you should use more semicolons in your manuscript.” Mind you, this is after my agent, Jonas Saul, and writing buddies told me to eliminate them. Lol

About Cyndi

Cyndi Brec is a debut author of Scarred Visions, book one of the Marked for Life series. Also, author of Scarred Secrets and Scarred Lies—short stories.

An Ohio native, Cyndi lives with her best friend, her husband, her two crazy-fun-loving kids, and her embarrassingly energetic dogs, who find unending trouble.

Her experience as a Recreational Therapy Technician for the Geriatric psych and mentally challenged, love for travel, and creative story building has given her many facets to draw from when world-building.

Cyndi never thought of herself as an author, more of a storyteller. Her love of history was part of the driving force in writing the series, but more so, mythological stories that stretched across civilizations and time. The secrets hidden within those mythical tales cultivated an unending list of questions and inspired her to write a YA urban fantasy series.

Let’s Be Social

Website; www.Cyndibrec.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/cyndibrec7
Instagram: www.instagram.com/callie_tresham

#ThisorThatThursday Author Interview with Cynthia Carver

I’d like to welcome author Cynthia Carver to the blog today for #ThisorThatThursday!

A few of your favorite things: A few of my favorite things are a hand drum my father made for me, a print photo of a medicine woman from a native medicine society, and my mother’s corning ware coffee pot.

Things you need to throw out: All the surplus plastic bags I keep around for the bathroom waste can.

Things you need for your writing sessions: This may change often according to the scene I am writing, but I need a clutter free desk zone, my phone to keep the Clubhouse sprints open, and ice-cold water while I write.

Things that hamper your writing: A disorganized area around my desk area hampers my writing. I must stop and clear it before writing anything that isn’t disjointed.

Things you love about writing: Expressing the story from within, knowing someone will enjoy the story that has grown from my imagination gives me delight concerning my writing.

Things you hate about writing: Hands down, I hate editing. My English grammar is not the most fluid. It is a good thing I found an editor that is willing to work with me and make me look good.

Hardest thing about being a writer: For me, the hardest thing about being a writer is getting the written word on the page as fast as my brain spews it out.

Easiest thing about being a writer: The easiest thing would be the creating of new characters. In Small Bit of Justice, the first draft had to many characters. I had to combine them to make it easy to follow.

Things you never want to run out of: Incense and coffee, both make my morning brighter.

Things you wish you’d never bought: The chandelier that is now in my RV. I never use it and I’m not sure I actually like it.

Favorite foods: Tacos, pollo loco, and blackberry cobbler ice-cream or strawberry ice-cream on blackberry pie are my guilty pleasures in the food department.

Things that make you want to gag: Quickest way for me to lose my appetite is to be offered beets, okra, or arugula.

Favorite beverage: Black coffee is my favorite morning beverage followed by ice-water during the day, and Lemonade in the evening.

Something that gives you a sour face: Iced-coffee or a Frappuccino is something that I do not enjoy.

Favorite smell: I enjoy the scent of lilacs in the garden, followed by heritage roses, lavender and purple sage.

Something that makes you hold your nose: Beautiful little skunks make me hold my breath. The pungent scent is disgusting to me.

Something you wish you could do: As a child I was very musical, not a band instrument that I could not play. I let that fall to the wayside as I became an adult and wish I could regain that ability.

Something you wish you’d never learned to do: Cussing is a habit I wish I had never picked up and cultivated. Why yes, I was a sailor, my colorful words share that without much explanation.

Something you like to do: I like to traditional dance at Powwows.

Something you wish you’d never done: Left an argument with a misunderstanding that may have left the person with a sense of guilt.

Things you always put in your books: Episodes that hinge on being unbelievable that my sister and I actually did.

Things you never put in your books: My sister’s personal epic tales and she has done many. Those are for her to request I write, or for her to write herself.

Things to say to an author: My favorite thing to hear from someone is, “Let me show you what I did,” reader flips their phone open and presents a picture of their review of my book on Amazon.

Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book: “Whatever possessed you to think you could tell a story with your bad grammar?”

Favorite places you’ve been: My lifestyle is nomadic and I visit all types of amazing places. Hawaii was my favorite place to live while stationed on Kauai while in the military.

Places you never want to go to again: I have no desire to visit Tijuana, México again. Other places in México, especially on the gulf side I’ll continue to visit each year.

Favorite books (or genre): I write paranormal suspense and love reading historic romance, witchy cozies, and paranormal romance.

Books you wouldn’t buy: My guilty pleasure is listening to Stephen King YouTube documentaries, but to buy horror isn’t something I would do. I did buy his book, On Writing.

Most embarrassing moment: At the time, I had recently married my starter husband, oops first husband. Things had waned with his rigid Seal Team schedule. I decided to greet him at the door when he came home with nothing on but a smile. When I opened the door, it was his supervisor. I slammed the door, put clothes on, and answered the door again.

Proudest moment: When I drove away in my Class A motorhome and didn’t wreck it when I took the corner out of the parking lot. It was such a relief; I smiled all the way to the gas station.

About Cynthia

Cynthia Carver, born in Dayton, Ohio to Métis parents and a veteran of the US Navy, puts a paranormal spin on everything she does whether it is ghost hunting or camping. Often the photos she takes and shares on her website have images of other-dimensional beings. Her failure in life is cooking. Her family requests her to bring items such as paper plates, napkins, and utensils to family picnics.

Her dyslexia leaks into all phases of her life including her published work. She released the second story featuring her main character, Tracy Richards first. Meet Tracy Richards in Tracy’s debut novella, ‘The Missing Locket.’

On a timeline, ‘Small Bit of Justice’ happened to Tracy Richards before ‘Missing Locket.’ Each novelette, novella, and novel are stand-alone stories.

Each November, Cynthia accepts the NaNoWriMo.org challenge of writing a 50,000-word novel within thirty days. She is a cheerleader for those in the writer’s facebook group ‘Author Apprentices’ who have joined her in the writing madness.

Let’s Be Social

Website: http://CynthiaCarver.com/events

Book Link: https://linktr.ee/cynthiacarver