#ThisorThatThursday Author Interview with Michael Hingson

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I’d like to welcome Michael Hingson to the blog for #ThisorThatThursday!

Hardest thing about being a writer: Sometimes coming up with the words to express a thought. Coming up with appropriate ideas about concepts especially about blindness so that readers will really understand

Easiest thing about being a writer: telling personal stories. Once I have ideas fixed in my mind, putting them down. Making people laugh.

Things you need for your writing sessions: Quiet time. Help from others to make ideas real. Making myself smile.

Things that hamper your writing: Outside noises. Interruptions. Suggestions from others that simply don’t fit into the story.

A few of your favorite things: Garlic bread. Chocolate. Good clean comedy. Quiet time to ponder everything.

Things you need to throw out: Old papers. Old electronics that doesn’t work any more. Negative thoughts since they only hurt me and not others.

Favorite foods: Garlic bread. Rib eye steak. Chocolate chip cookies. PG Tips tea.

Things that make you want to gag: Tomatoes. Kiwi fruit.

Something you’re really good at: Laughing at myself. Public speaking. Working with dogs.

Something you’re really bad at: Creating visuals for videos. Quickly coming up with ideas to include in books I am writing, but I do get there.

Favorite music or song: Swing and big band music. Michael Buble. Classical pops music like from the Boston Pops.

Music that drives you crazy: Rap. Hip hop. Heavy metal.

The last thing you ordered online: USB cables. Pizza. Treats for my guide dog.

The last thing you regret buying: A ladder that didn’t meet my needs. USB cables that were wrong because the online description didn’t give me enough information to reject them. An audio book I didn’t like.

Things you always put in your books: True snippets about me. Some relevant bible verses to emphasize a point. Stories about my late wife.

Things you never put in your books: Swear words. Negative things about people, even terrorists.

Favorite places you’ve been: New Zealand. Hawaii. San Francisco. New York. Boston.

Places you never want to go to again: Any hotel that is inaccessible to blind persons. Any restaurant that serves only fried food, (too much isn’t that good).

Favorite things to do: Cruising. Talking with people. Traveling with others.

Things you’d run through a fire or eat bugs to get out of doing: Cruising alone. Listening to any politician that isn’t interested in listening back. Not being able to have calm conversations with others because they won’t share respectfully. Sitting through a speech where the speaker spends most of their time simply pointing to items on a screen

Best thing you’ve ever done: Married my wife. Escaped from the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. Began my public speaking career and continuing it after the pandemic. Starting my podcast, “Unstoppable Mindset”.

Biggest mistake: Not starting an IRA earlier. Starting my speaking career later than I should have. Not learning to play Chess well.

The coolest person you’ve ever met: Larry King. Peter Falk. My wife.

The celebrity who didn’t look like he/she did in pictures/video: I wouldn’t know about that, needless to say. However, Adam West, (TV’s Batman), who was quite unfriendly.

The nicest thing a reader said to you: Your book changed my life. I have a whole new perspective on blindness because of your books.

The craziest thing a reader said to you: At a book club meeting where everyone swore they had read Thunder Dog, “What were you doing in the World Trade Center anyway?”. “How do blind people have sex?”

Besides writing, what’s the most creative thing you’ve done: Helped perfect Ray Kurzweil’s Reading Machine. Helping to bring assistive technology products to the blindness market. Teach people about accessibility. Opened a New York office in the World Trade Center.

A project that didn’t quite turn out the way you planned it: Constructing a Braille computer terminal. Running my own business from 1985-1988, we didn’t get the revenue we wanted.

Some real-life story that made it to one of your books: Escaping from the World Trade Center. Talking about public speaking. Lessons I learned from my eight guide dogs that are in “Live Like A Guide Dog”.

Something in your story that readers think is about you, but it’s not: I personally lead 30 people out of the World Trade Center. I was lead out of the World Trade Center by my guide dog, (guide dogs don’t lead, they guide). Others wrote my books, not I.

About Michael:

Michael Hingson, blind since birth, was born in Chicago to sighted parents who believed in raising their son with a can-do attitude. Treated like all other children in his family, Michael rode a bike did advanced math in his head and learn to read and write – Braille that is!

Michael’s family relocated to the warm Palmdale area of California when he was five years old. It is here that Hingson had his first adventure with Guide Dogs for the Blind and received his first guide dog. He later went to college receiving a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Physics along with a secondary teaching credential from the University of California at Irvine.

Michael then enjoyed a nearly-30-year career working for high tech companies spending most of his time in management roles.

Michael Hingson’s life changed dramatically on September 11, 2001 when he and his guide dog, Roselle, escaped from the 78th floor of Tower One in the World Trade Center moments before it collapsed. Soon after, Michael and Roselle were thrust into the international limelight where Michael began to share his unique survival story and 9-11 lessons of trust, courage, heroism, and teamwork.

Mike has served as The National Public Affairs Director for one of the largest Nonprofit organizations in the nation: Guide Dogs for the Blind; He has served as the vice president of the National Association of Guide Dog Users; Michael has held a seat on the Fort Worth Lighthouse for the Blind. He is the chair of the board of directors of the Earle Baum Center for the Blind and is the vice chair of the Colorado Center for the Blind; Michael is The National Ambassador for the Braille Literacy Campaign of the National Federation of the Blind.

Until October 2019 he worked as the CEO of the Do More Foundation, the non-profit arm of Aira Tech Corp, a manufacturer of assistive technology which makes a revolutionary visual interpreter for blind people. In January 2021 Mike joined accessiBe as its Chief Vision Officer to help advance the company goal of making the entire internet fully inclusive. AccessiBe provides an artificial intelligence-based product that makes web sites accessible to many persons with disabilities.

He is the author of the #1 New York Times Best Seller: “Thunder dog –The True Story of a Blind Man, a Guide Dog & the Triumph of Trust” – selling over 2.5 million copies Worldwide. In 2014 Mr. Hingson published his 2nd book “Running with Roselle”- which Is the first of its kind- A story for our youth shedding light on one of Americas Darkest Days. Mr. Hingson’s third book, “Live Like A Guide Dog”, was released on August 20, 2024. This book shows readers how they can learn to control fear and not, as Mike would say, “become blinded by fear in the face of crisis”.

Aside from his talents and advocacies, Mr. Hingson has traveled the Globe from Japan to New Zealand, the Netherlands to his hometown, Chicago. Speaking to some of the world’s most elite: from former President, George W. Bush to Larry King, to Fortune 500 companies and colleges and Universities Nationwide. After sharing his story of survival on hundreds of TV and Radio programs, Michael is now an Expert hired by many of today’s major corporations and organizations. Speaking and consulting on the importance of Teamwork and Trust, Moving from Diversity to Inclusion, as well as offering Adaptive Technology Training – spearheading innovation for ALL! - Thus, bringing organizations to the forefront of the ever-changing competitive modern world.

In June, 2024 Mike was inducted as an alumni member into the honors Fraternity Phi Beta Kappa.




#ThisorThatThursday Author Interview with Teresa and Bill Peschel

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I’d like to welcome Teresa and Bill Peshel to the blog for #ThisorThatThursday!

Hardest thing about being a writer:

Teresa: Getting those words on the page and out of my head!

Bill: Finishing what I start.

Easiest thing about being a writer:

Teresa: Ideas are everywhere. They’re piled up in heaps in corners, begging for attention.

Bill: Plotting out a story. The first draft is really hard but once it’s there, I can rewrite it.

Things you need for your writing sessions:

Teresa: To have finished my daily hour and 15 minutes of online solitaire. I’m really good at it!

Bill: The willpower to get started without getting distracted by the internet.

Things that hamper your writing:

Teresa: Having to sit down and see my beautiful vision turn into clunky words. Also, I MUST finish my hour and 15 minutes of solitaire before I can write a word, even on deadline.

Bill: Self-loathing, depression, and fear of being discovered a fraud. You know, the usual writer anxieties.

Something you’re really good at:

Teresa: I’m really good at solitaire. I play at www.worldofsolitaire.com and have scored in the top 50 leaderboard on MANY of the hundreds of variations. Look for tdbpeschel or tbpeschel.

Bill: Naming any popular pop song from the ’70s to the ’90s within the first 10 seconds.

Something you’re really bad at:

Teresa: Bill says I’m perfect as I am. How about getting our adopted cats to love me. They don’t, despite being rescued from the PetSmart. They’re ungrateful.

Bill: Playing the guitar, no matter how expensive the guitar I bought or the lessons I’ve taken. Teresa here: he’s right!

Favorite music or song:

Teresa. I dunno. Music is aural wallpaper. I have eclectic tastes for my wallpaper: electronica, big band, jazz, classical, original video game soundtrack. No country after the death of Hank Williams. No vocals.

Bill: I’m a simple man. I like nothing but the best. If the song is lyrically interesting and melodic, if it’s witty or emotionally deep, I love it. I grew up in the late ’70s and early ’80s so that’s my favorite era.

Music that drives you crazy:

Teresa: Irritating lyrics that don’t make any sense. Too loud or banging. May God save me from awful guitarists playing too loud at the farmers’ market.

Bill: Modernist, atonal opera.

Favorite smell:

Teresa: Vanilla. Good top soil. The scent of flowers. A scent must be strong for me to smell it as I have a very poor nose.

Bill: Cinnamon, fresh coffee, mint, and peppermint.

Something that makes you hold your nose:

Teresa: Cat hork and cleaning products to remove cat hork.

Bill: You never forget the first dead mouse you didn’t get out of the attic in time.

Last best thing you ate:

Teresa: Last night’s ice cream sundae of Tillamook Coffee Almond, hot fudge, whipped cream, and nuts. We enjoyed the sundaes as a reward for spending the entire day at Cozy Fete.

Bill: I added beer to wash down my ice cream sundae.

Last thing you regret eating:

Teresa: I avoid eating anything I don’t like to eat. Fortunately, I like eating a wide variety of food!

Bill: A diner served me a Rueban in which the brisket was so gristly and thick, it was inedible. I hate leaving food on my plate but I had to here.

Things you always put in your books:

Teresa: Complicated characters who feel real. Even minor characters have complete lives although I can’t put them into the narrative. But I know their backstories.

Bill: I always put in humor. Even a grim story needs some leavening.

Things you never put in your books:

Teresa: Gratuitous violence, sex, obscenities, or swearing. There better be a darn good reason!

Bill: Politics. Nothing dates a book worse or drives away half the audience than what is in essence propaganda.

Things to say to an author:

Teresa: Your book really meant something to me. You took me out of myself for a while.

Bill: I bought all your books (even though I haven’t read any of them) and I recommended them to all my friends.

Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book:

Teresa: This hasn’t happened to me yet but it has to Bill!

Bill: I reviewed an author’s debut novel and wrote that her determination to be humorous reeked of “flop sweat.” She murdered me in her next book. Lee Goldberg asked permission to kill me in one of his Mr. Monk novels, but as a thank you for favorably reviewing his books. See! You can get killed either way.

Favorite books (or genre):

Teresa: I like romance, romantasy, science-fiction, fantasy, and Agatha Christie. I’m an omnivorous reader so if it’s good, I’ll read it.

Bill: I read very widely, which is why we have 8,000 books in our house. Mysteries, biographies, histories, books by and about writers, true crime, and in my early years a LOT of fantasy and science fiction.

Books you wouldn’t buy:

Teresa: Hardcore pornography; gruesome, blood-soaked horror; or diet books.

Bill: Same as above plus fashionable literary novels. They’re as ephemeral as mayflies and have just as much heft after their day in the sun is over.

Best thing you’ve ever done:

Teresa: Marrying Bill and having my children.

Bill: Marrying my second wife (Teresa).

Biggest mistake:

Teresa: Too many of them so we pretend they never happened and move on.

Bill: Marrying my first wife.

Besides writing, what’s the most creative thing you’ve done:

Teresa: Gardening! It’s art in four dimensions. You’ve also never seen creative fiction like a gardening catalog. I also design quilts as a highwire act. I don’t know what the finished quilt will turn out until I’m done.

Bill: Creating Teresa’s three-minute video introduction for her presentation at the International Agatha Christie conference in Torquay, England. I wrote the script for her to narrate as if she was introducing a documentary on Agatha’s films, complete with clips.

A project that didn’t quite turn out the way you planned it:

Teresa: My gardening efforts. The plan is so much better than the slug-eaten, weed-infested reality. Same with the quilts I make. But the plants grow and the quilts keep people warm at night so it’s all good.

Bill: Teresa’s two-shelf rolling bookcase. I never could settle on a final design which is why it took a year and a half to build when I could have bought and assembled an Ikea bookcase.

Some real-life story that made it to one of your books:

Teresa: I put a lot of history, science, and soil-building into my science-fiction romance. I’m terraforming Mars and it was a great moment when a reader who’s a soil scientist said I got it right.

Bill: I set one of my Mark Twain/Sherlock Holmes stories in Heidelberg, Germany. I was invited to visit one of the dueling clubs one drunken night in the ’70s and was shown how they wielded their swords to leave decorative facial scars. Since Twain stayed in Heidelberg for several months, it was easy to integrate my memories of that night with his fictional encounter with Irene Adler.

Something in your story that readers think is about you, but it’s not:

Teresa: So few people have read my books that this hasn’t come up yet. I have watched over 300 Agatha Christie films to review them but those are her stories, not mine, so no one confuses me with a serial killer or Poirot.

Bill: My first wife complimented me on my portrayal of her in a short story. Since she was pleased, I didn’t have the heart to tell her I’d written it long before I’d met her.

About Teresa and Bill:

Teresa:

Teresa Peschel lives with her family in the Sweetest Place on Earth. She has long been interested in sustainability, resource depletion, and finding a balanced life, not too much and not too little. This led her to write “Fed, Safe, & Sheltered: Protect Your Family and Thrive Amid Tough Times” (formerly “Suburban Stockade”), and “Sew Cloth Grocery Bags: Make Your Own in Quantity For Yourself, For Gifts, and For Sale.” Her collection of Agatha Christie movie and TV reviews, “Agatha Christie, She Watched,” was nominated for an Anthony award at Bouchercon. Teresa also explores these issues, as Odessa Moon, in her science-fiction romances on a terraformed Mars.

Bill:

A lifelong fan of Dorothy L. Sayers’ Lord Peter Wimsey stories, Bill Peschel began Peschel Press in 2011 to publish “The Complete, Annotated Whose Body?” He has gone on to annotate the first six novels by Agatha Christie, collections of Sherlock Holmes pastiches and parodies from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s lifetime, and a short-story collection featuring Sherlock Holmes and Mark Twain.

Bill is also a mystery fan who runs the online Wimsey Annotations and interviews mystery authors for the Mechanicsburg Mystery Book Shop’s YouTube channel. Peschel lives with publishing partner (and wife) Teresa and his family in Hershey, where the air really does smell like chocolate.

Let’s Be Social:

Website: https://www.peschelpress.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/peschel_press/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PeschelPress

X/Twitter: https:@PeschelPress

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@peschelpress9911



#ThisorThatThursday Author Interview with Chindia Ilonka

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I’d like to welcome Chindia Ilonka to the blog for #ThisorThatThursday!

Things you never want to run out of:

Joy, laughter, gratitude

Things you wish you’d never bought:

Music on cassette tapes, a fax machine, and floppy disks for data storage. Amazing how far technology has propelled us forward!

A few of your favorite things:

Time in nature, reading a book in bed, dancing as if no one is watching.

Things you need to throw out:

The ‘dust collectors’—knick-knacks and trinkets that take up space but add nothing meaningful. Clearing them out has created so much open space, making room for what truly matters.

Things you need for your writing sessions:

Dedicated, blocked-out time on my calendar and a clear sign on my door that reads, “Silence! Writing in Progress.” It’s my signal to the world that creativity is in session.

Things that hamper your writing:

An overcrowded to-do list that tries to pull me in every direction but the one that leads to what matters most.

Words that describe you:

Visionary—always seeing potential where others might not. Compassionate—with an open heart for those around me. Warrior-Spirit—determined and resilient in the face of challenges. Joyful—carrying a lightness that brightens each moment. Patient—embracing life’s timing with grace.

Words that describe you, but you wish they didn’t (at times):

Unwaveringly committed no matter what—even when it’s time to let go. Self-sacrificing—sometimes putting others’ needs above my own. Quiet and introspective—sometimes holding back when I should speak up.

Favorite music or song:

“Climb Every Mountain” (from The Sound of Music), “You Raise me Up” (Josh Groban’s rendition), “The Rose” (by Bette Midler).

Music that drives you crazy:

Hard rock, metal, screamo, and industrial—anything with relentless intensity and heavy distortion!

Something you’re really good at:

Deep listening and facilitating dialogue. I thrive in visioning, taking big ideas from inspiration to implementation with purpose.

Something you’re really bad at:

Speaking extemporaneously or off the cuff. I prefer to reflect deeply before I share my thoughts.

Favorite books (or genre):

Historical fiction, motivational reads, self-empowerment, and ancient wisdom. Each offers depth and insight that enriches my understanding.

Books you wouldn’t buy:

Quick romances or purely escapist fiction, unless it connects to a compelling, life-inspiring theme.

Best thing you’ve ever done:

Finding my authentic voice and sharing it with others. It’s been a journey of courage and growth.

Biggest mistake:

Trying to fit in, instead of embracing my unique path.

Most daring thing you’ve ever done:

Zip-lining over the forest canopy—a thrilling blend of adventure and nature!

Something you chickened out from doing:

Bungee jumping—just the thought gives me chills! I prefer feeling anchored to the earth, where my feet stay firmly planted.

Besides writing, what’s the most creative thing you’ve done:

Watercolor Painting. After I “heard” words inside of me that turned into poems, I expressed them into watercolor paintings as well.

A project that didn’t quite turn out the way you planned it:

My ‘coming out’ with the wisdom I’d received took far longer than I ever expected. It began with my first poetry collection, Whisperings of the Wind: Soul to Soul, Heart to Heart in Unison with All, but rather than resolutely stepping into the world as my elevated, authentic self, it took over 13 years before I was truly ready to carry the wisdom and write Quantum Rebel, along with its accompanying movement to inspire others to find their visionary voice within. In letting go of artificial timelines and surrendering to the journey, I realized that I was the project. Through my own inner transformation, the outer expression naturally unfolded, aligning with the deeper purpose I was meant to share.

About Chindia:

Chindia Ilonka is an internationally recognized visionary leader, transformational coach, and bestselling author of Quantum Rebel. With over 20 years of global experience in human transformation and organizational effectiveness, her early work as a Franklin Covey organizational consultant profoundly shaped her career, honing her ability to inspire lasting change within individuals, leaders, and teams.

Guided by a vision that transcends conventional boundaries and redefines traditional success, Chindia Ilonka’s non-linear journey of growth and transformation led her to develop pioneering, Source-inspired methodologies and frameworks. This quantum toolset fosters innovation, resilience, and soul-aligned success, driving powerful, purpose-driven results in life, leadership, and business. In Quantum Rebel, she encapsulates the holistic essence of this transformative vision, offering a blueprint to unlock the power of inspiration by embracing one’s unique quantum blueprint and harnessing intuition, synchronicity, and strategy to amplify impact.

Quantum Rebel invites visionary leaders, entrepreneurs, and changemakers—seasoned and emerging—to adopt the expansive “and” mindset, moving beyond outdated “either/or” choices between profit or impact, success or purpose, achievement or balance. It champions a holistic approach, guiding changemakers to lead from their soul’s deepest calling and create extraordinary, purpose-driven impact. Chindia Ilonka’s mission is to inspire you to build legacies that uplift yourself and the world, fostering a more compassionate, abundant future where everyone thrives.

Let’s Be Social:

Website: http://www.thequantumrebel.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheQuantumRebel

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thequantumrebel

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/quantumrebels

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@QuantumRebels

#ThisorThatThursday Author Interview with D. C. Gomez

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I’d like to welcome author, D.C. Gomez, back to the blog for #ThisorThatThursday!

Things you need when you’re in your writing cave: a cozy blanket. I’m extremely comfy when I write, so blankets and pillows are a most.

Things that distract you from writing: having the TV on. While I can write in a public space if necessary, having the TV on completely throws me off.

Hardest thing about being a writer: promoting the books online. It feels like the market is always changing and we are playing catch-up all the time.

Easiest thing about being a writer: for me is creating the plot. I have a blast thinking of the twist and turns my characters are going to face in the story.

The coolest thing you’ve bought online: I actually bought an extra large comfy blanket from a TikTok shop that blew me away. It quickly got relocated to my hubby’s office.

The thing you wished you’d never bought: I accidentally bought a case (24 cans) of stuffed olives with salmon. I was curious and wanted to tried them. Not my proudest moment.

Favorite snacks: chips and salsa- I could live on this.

Things that make you want to gag: anything with eggplants.

Something you’re really good at: dancing comes really natural to me and I can get lost in the music.

Something you’re really bad at: most organized sports. Really don’t enjoy the competitiveness of it. Strange because I can be really competitive in other areas.

Something you wanted to be when you were a kid: a doctor, but I’m sure it was because of my family since I can’t stand the sight of an open wound.

Something you do that you never dreamed you’d do: I never imagined being a soldier, but grateful I joined.

Favorite places you’ve been: a few years ago I went on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Absolutely amazing.

Places you never want to go to again: any amusement park. Terrified of heights so I skipped all the rides.

The most exciting thing about your writing life: getting to meet readers and talk about books is officially the best part of my writing life. It’s amazing when they love my characters.

The one thing you wish you could do over in your writing life: learn how to market my books better from the beginning.

The nicest thing a reader said to you: “I haven’t slept in two days because I couldn’t put the book down.” To this day, that makes my day.

The craziest thing a reader said to you: “Have you been following me around, because this is my life.” I was told that when Death’s Intern came out and all I could do was smile.

Recommendations for curing writer’s block: stop thinking about the book and do something physical. Go for a walk, ride a book or play music. Getting yourself moving has a way of unlocking ideas.

Things you do to avoid writing: housework. If I’m procrastinating, my house gets really clean before I start to write.

About D.C.:

D.C. Gomez is an award-winning USA Today Bestselling Author who writes in multiple genres. While she started her publishing journey writing Urban Fantasy and Children’s Book, she expanded her books into women’s contemporary literature and non-fiction. Her non-fiction books include a collection of devotionals books, as well as a motivational one.

While publishing full time and managing her small business, D.C. proudly severs as an Army Civilian in Texarkana, Texas. A career she embarked shortly after her enlistment in the U.S. Army ended. She served for four years, culminating her career as a Sergeant with the 101st Field Support Battalion in the First Infantry Division. That included a year deployment to Iraq at the start of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

D.C. has an undergraduate degree in Fine Arts from New York University in Film and Televisions. In May 2007, D.C. was awarded a master degree in Science Administration from Central Michigan University. In 2013 she was also awarded a second master degree in Science in Adult Education from Texas A&M University- Texarkana.

A believer of life-learning and a self-proclaimed professional student, D.C. continues to look for ways to improved and grow. That journey led to her certification as a Meditation Instructor from the Chopra Center. It also motivated her to become a certified public speaker and coach from The John Maxwell Team. D.C. serves as a certified Sexual Assault Advocate for the Department of Defense.

After years of searching for balance between all her different passions, D.C. found harmony in the organized chaos. By understanding and embracing the need for both a corporate career as well as a creative business, she has found the perfect mix of creativity and efficiency. This has allowed for true enjoyment in her life.

Let’s Be Social:

Website: http://www.dcgomez-author.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/dcgomez.author

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/dc.gomez


#ThisorThatThursday Author Interview with Tricia Copeland

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I’d like to welcome Tricia Copeland to the blog for #ThisorThatThursday!

A few of your favorite things: Photos of my family

Things you need to throw out: Unused spiral bound notebooks from my kids’ school days

Things you need for your writing sessions: Some sort of hydration, water or Die Coke

Things that hamper your writing: Noise

Favorite foods: Pizza, dark chocolate brownies, and does Diet Coke count?

Things that make you want to gag: Brussel sprouts, beets, and collard greens

Favorite beverage: Did I mention Diet Coke?

Something that gives you a sour face: coffee

Something you’re really good at: running

Something you’re really bad at: anything with a ball associated with it

Things you’d walk a mile for: time with family and friends

Things that make you want to run screaming from the room: talking about politics

Things you always put in your books: happy endings, mostly happy endings but sometimes I leave a couple things undone…

Things you never put in your books: graphic violence and erotica

Things to say to an author: I loved character x because y

Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book: Will you put me in one of your books? You think I’m kidding but I did this to my mom, as sort of a joke, but not really. 😉

Favorite places you’ve been: Maui and Kauai, Hawaii

Places you never want to go to again: Wow, tough one, driving cross country with three kids under thee was not fun especially through desolate Kansas.

Favorite books (or genre): Genres: romance, fantasy, and historical fiction

Books you wouldn’t buy: horror and erotica

Besides writing, what’s the most creative thing you’ve done: Does drying flowers count? I have two vases I am very proud of and dried sunflowers in the works.

A project that didn’t quite turn out the way you planned it: I tried to make bagels once and they did not work, were hard as rocks when I finished.

One driven woman. Five passionate paths to the perfect love.

Chloe refuses to compromise when it comes to romance and success. Powering through her sophomore-level college business classes, she’s done with the effort of distance-dating her high-school sweetheart. But when he proposes just as she hits it off with a hunky basketball player, she worries following her heart could send her bright future to the bench.

As Chloe matures to become a rising star in the fashion industry, love knocks another four times. But while each potential suitor eventually pops the question, only she knows her ultimate happy ending.

Whose arms will embrace Chloe when she chooses her forever man?

Perfect is a standalone clean contemporary romance. If you like tender moments, lighthearted comedy, and endings you choose yourself, then you’ll adore Tricia Copeland’s option-filled tale.

Perfect is “A sweet take on what’s important when it comes to finding the perfect kind of love.” - Christina Benjamin, author of the best-selling young adult romance novels, The Boyfriend Series

Get Perfect to pick your ideal walk down the aisle today!

About Tricia:

Tricia believes in finding magic. She thinks magic infuses every aspect of our lives, whether it is the magic of falling in love, discovering a new passion, seeing a beautiful sunset, or reading a book that transports us to another world. An avid runner and Georgia native, Tricia now lives with her family and four-legged friends in Colorado. Her newest romances are penned under Maria Jane. You can find all her titles from contemporary romance and fantasy to dystopian fiction at www.triciacopeland.com.

Let’s Be Social:

https://linktr.ee/triciacopeland

https://www.facebook.com/TriciaCopelandAuthor/

https://www.instagram.com/authortriciacopeland/

https://twitter.com/tcbrzostowicz

https://www.tiktok.com/@triciacopelandauthor

https://www.youtube.com/@triciacopelandauthor

https://www.pinterest.com/triciacopelanda/

https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00YHN5Q4G

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14055439.Tricia_Copeland

https://www.bookbub.com/authors/tricia-copeland


 

#ThisorThatThursday Author Interview with Alethea Lyons

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Happy Halloween! I’d like to welcome author Alethea Lyons to the blog for a #ThisorThatThursday interview.

Favorite thing that you always make time for: Aside from family, writing and reading. It takes a lot of time, so my social life goes out the window, but I’m okay with that.

The thing you’ll always do just about anything to avoid: Big parties where people will be doing anything competitive. Sorry to my friends who all seem to love boardgames, but I absolutely hate it and will self-sabotage.

Things you need when you’re in your writing cave: Since I started having to grab whatever time I could around my toddler, this list has basically dropped to ‘something to write with’ even if that’s just my phone and a five-minute break.

Things that distract you from writing: The two-year-old is pretty distracting! Seriously though, I find it hard to multitask, so if I keep getting e-mails or other projects are intruding, that’s difficult. Grating noises outside are difficult for my migraines, so if I am home alone and can have music, I do, just so outside noises are less noticeable.

The thing you like most about being a writer: Spinning a story out of something tiny. A perfectly crafted sentence.

The thing you like least about being a writer: Marketing and querying.

Things you will run to the store for in the middle of the night: Sometimes I wish I could run to the store for ice cream. Mostly, my emergency late night shops have been for milk when I’ve either just gotten home from a holiday or I’ve run out late. I need a cup of tea in the morning.

Things you never put on your shopping list: Tuna. It makes me really sick, so I won’t have it in the house. I will only buy coffee very reluctantly. I hate the smell of that too, but I have to get it for my mother-in-law.

The coolest thing you’ve bought online: Technically my husband’s purchase first and I then got him the same present. We each have a pair of battle lightsabers. It makes for quite the show in the back garden. He has the advantage being trained in staff fighting (and they link to make a lightsaber staff), whereas I’m a fencer and have to remember a lightsaber doesn’t have a guard.

The thing that you will most remember about your writing life: The feeling of coming down from a phone call to tell my husband that books 1.5 and 2 of my series had been picked up. I sat on the couch and cried.

Something in your writing life that you wish you could do over: Notifying people of the offer I had. I’d word it differently and I’d ask for more than two weeks.

Something you wanted to be when you were a kid: Astronaut when I was little, then astrophysicist until I was about sixteen.

Something you do that you never dreamed you’d do: Write! It’s not enough to earn a living, but I never thought I’d have a book anyone would read, let alone published books and stories.

The best job you ever had: I count writing, even though it doesn’t make me any money. Job that I actually made a living at, though? Probably a role that was basically ‘problem solver’ and making things more efficient.

The worst job you ever had: Working on the line at a scampi factory. So disgusting my mom would plastic-wrap the car before picking me up, and I had to hop over the wall of the parking lot behind our house so I could go in the back gate and straight into the walk in shower rather than go through the house.

Favorite things to do: Play with my kid, write, read, travel with my husband, walk in the countryside, play my violin, sing. I’m pretty easy to please.

Things you’d run through a fire or eat bugs to get out of doing: Playing an instrument in front of someone, especially if I know they’re good at playing it. Working in a fish factory again.

The one thing you cook/bake that is better than a restaurant dish: Not sure it compares to a restaurant dish, but my proudest baking achievement is that I can make candy cane cookies that taste as good as Grandma’s and I have a better method for making them.

The one thing you cooked/baked that turned out to be an epic disaster: One of the first years I made Thanksgiving dinner, I forgot to put the eggs in the pumpkin pies. They tasted great… for pumpkin goop.

About Alethea:

Alethea (she/ze) writes various forms of SFF, with a particular love for science-fantasy, dark fantasy, dystopias, and folklore. Many of her works take place at the intersection between technology and magic. Ze enjoys writing stories with subtle political and philosophical messages, but primarily wants zir stories to be great tales with characters readers will love. She also has soft spots for found family, hopeless romances, and non-human characters. Zir short stories can be found in a variety of publications and links for these are on her website.

Alethea lives in Manchester, UK with her husband, little Sprite, a cacophony of stringed instruments, and more tea than she can drink in a lifetime.

Let’s Be Social:

Website: https://alethealyons.wixsite.com

Social media: https://linktr.ee/alethearlyons

#ThisorThatThursay Interview with Author Donna M. Cramer

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Today, I would like to welcome author, Donna M. Cramer, to the blog for #ThisorThatThursday!

Things you need for your writing sessions: I need coffee, time and a quiet environment.

Things that hamper your writing: Having too many appointments, noise, and self-doubt

Hardest thing about being a writer: It is a solitary activity without a lot of input from others unless you really reach out e.g. writer’s groups, conferences, etc.

The easiest thing about being a writer: having the privilege to express my thoughts and hopefully to help others. When the words flow through my fingertips, there is no better feeling.

Favorite foods: Anything Mexican or Italian

Things that make you want to gag: Not too much. I like food and like to try new foods. Not a fan of liver, though!

Favorite music or song: I’m a big Barry Manilow fan. I tend to really love his lesser-known work such as “All The Time” and “Please Don’t Be Scared.”

Music that drives you crazy: Not a fan of rap especially some of the misogynistic stuff.

Last best thing you ate: Delicious tacos from my favorite restaurant: Sol Toro.

Last thing you regret eating: A cream filled donut – way too sweet.

The last thing you ordered online: 12 small stuffed lions to go with my book series about Lester Lion.

The last thing you regret buying: A sweater ordered online. It looked cute, but when will I learn I need to try clothes on first!

Things you’d walk a mile for: A new book, almost any book, but especially one from my favorite authors such as Jodi Picoult, Lisa Jewell and Liane Moriarty.

Things that make you want to run screaming from the room: Politics especially disrespect directed toward others. We are all human.

Things you always put in your books: Names of people I know.

Things you never put in your books: Actual events that occurred

Things to say to an author: Tell me about your book. I understand the point you were trying to make.

Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book: Who helped you write it? Did you write it yourself?

Favorite things to do: Read, followed by writing at a very close second.

Things you’d run through a fire or eat bugs to get out of doing: Go to the doctor, although I do go when I need to!

Best thing you’ve ever done: Pursue my writing, never give up and get published!

Biggest mistake: Doubting myself and listening to others. Writing was never a waste of time because here I am now with two children’s books published and one adult novel. There are more on the way!

The coolest person you’ve ever met: Barry Manilow

The celebrity who didn’t look like he/she did in pictures/video: Rod Stewart much shorter than I thought, much shorter than me.

The nicest thing a reader said to you: Your book made a difference in my life.

The craziest thing a reader said to you: Did you really kidnap a baby? My novel is about a kidnapped boy. It is fiction, not a confession.

About Donna:

Donna M. Cramer is a retired special education teacher who lives in Massachusetts. She worked with young special needs students (preschool – first grade) for over 20 years. She sustained a life-altering brain injury while working at school, which forced her to retire early from teaching. Paul Is Missing is her first adult novel to be published. Donna has loved writing since childhood. Following her brain injury and during a long recovery, she came to realize that hope is so essential even during traumatic situations. Her brand is hope. She is also writing a series of children’s books featuring the character of Lester Lion. She stays busy writing, doing yoga and walking on the beach. She lives with her husband and two Maine Coon cats. Never give up, and always believe in hope!

Let’s Be Social:

Website: http://authordonnamcramer.com

Instagram: @donca4

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/donna.cramer.716

#ThisorThat Interview with Erica Miner

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I’d like to welcome Erica Miner back to the blog for #ThisorThatThursday!

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

Computer, phone, crystals, notepad, pens, highlighter, Bach Remedy Rescue pastilles, water bottle

Things that distract you from writing:

Noise, indoor/outdoor; husband interrupting me when my office door is closed; a sunny day (a rarity in the Pacific Northwest!)

Hardest thing about being a writer:

Getting right down to it in the morning

Easiest thing about being a writer:

Thinking up stories—I’ll never be able to write them all

Favorite snacks:

Trader Joe’s Cassava chips, dried fruits of all kinds, especially mangos and peaches (less like favorites, more like addictions)

Things that make you want to gag:

Beets, lima beans

Something you’re really good at:

Lecturing on writing and music; cooking, when I’m in the mood

Something you’re really bad at:

Giving someone bad news

Something you wanted to be when you were a kid:

A psychotherapist; I thought I could do that AND be a violinist!

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

Write opera mysteries!

Last best thing you ate:

Chocolate chips (sugar free)

Last thing you regret eating:

Chocolate chips (sugar free)

Favorite places you’ve been:

Florence, Italy; all of California (used to live in So Cal); Paris, and all of France;

Japan is especially delicious, in every way

Places you never want to go to again:

Mexico; I got really sick there

Favorite things to do:

Sit out on the deck in warm, sunny weather (priceless when it happens in Seattle)

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

Cleaning oven racks

Most daring thing you’ve ever done:

Traveled through Europe solo (chronicled in my first novel, ‘Travels with my Lovers’)

Something you chickened out from doing: Scuba diving

The most exciting thing about your writing life:

Engaging with readers, both in person and online, and speaking about my books at events

The one thing you wish you could do over in your writing life:

Learn the importance of marketing and promotion before I started writing full time

The nicest thing a reader said to you:

“Her scene-setting in the opera world, replete with detestable divas, wannabe stars, and snarky stagehands, makes for a delicious read”

The craziest thing a reader said to you:

“You can’t see the stage from the Met Opera pit.” (Nonsense. Of course you can. I watched the stage for 21 years from my position as a first violinist. Has this reader ever sat there and looked??)

Recommendations for curing writer’s block: Journaling. Get those thoughts out of your head and onto the page.

Things you do to avoid writing: Surf through Facebook; but it’s also a great way to network

About Erica:

Award-winning Seattle-based author, lecturer, screenwriter and arts journalist Erica Miner believes opera theatres are perfect places for creating fictional mischief! Drawing on her 21 years as a violinist

at the famed Metropolitan Opera, Erica balances her reviews and interviews of real-world musical artists with fanciful plot fabrications that reveal the dark side of the fascinating world of opera, guiding readers through a dramatized version of the opera world in her Julia Kogan Opera Mystery series.

Erica’s young violinist sleuth, Julia Kogan, investigates high-profile murder and mayhem behind the Met’s “Golden Curtain” in Book 1, Aria for Murder (2022), finalist in the 2023 Eric Hoffer Book Awards and Chanticleer Independent Book Awards. In Book 2, Prelude to Murder (2023) (‘A skillfully written whodunit of operatic proportions’—Kirkus Reviews https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/erica-miner/prelude-to-murder/, Distinguished Favorite, 2024 NYC Big Book Awards, further operatic chaos and ghostly apparitions plague Julia at the Santa Fe Opera. In Overture to Murder, releasing in Oct. 2024, Julia finds herself in jeopardy once again at the San Francisco Opera.

Erica’s debut novel, Travels with My Lovers, won the Fiction Prize in the Direct from the Author Book Awards. Her screenplays have won awards in the Writer’s Digest, Santa Fe, and WinFemme competitions. When she isn't plumbing the depths of opera houses for murderous mayhem, Erica frequently contributes reviews and interviews for the well-known arts websites www.BroadwayWorld.com, www.bachtrack.com, and www.LAOpus.com.

 Let’s Be Social:

Website: https://www.ericaminer.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/erica.miner1             

X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/EmwrtrErica         

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emwriter3/