Who Art Thou? Elizabeth Marx & Giveaway

Interviews, Weekly Schedule, Who Art Thou Thursdays 4 Responses »

Feb 022012

On January 15, the blog tour for All’s Fair in Vanities Wars by Elizabeth Marx kicked off at Missy Reads Reviews. Today, Ms. Marx is gracious enough to visit us and tell us a bit about her writing. Please welcome her.

When you leave here, don’t forget to visit some of the other stops to learn more about All’s Fair in Vanities War and the Grand Giveaway!

Reena Jacobs: First off, I have to say… I’m in love with the cover art of All’s Fair in Vanities Wars. Please tell us how you came up with the concept.

Elizabeth Marx: I’m glad you like the cover of All’s Fair in Vanities War. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, never has a phrase been truer than for an author. A single image imbedded in our minds, spins magical worlds, and faraway places where monsters and mayhem rule. It also gives us inspiration. I was stuck on the idea of writing a young adult series about the seven deadly sins.I somehow got on the idea of vanity, and I wanted to know what symbols represent vanity and two concepts kept coming up: mirror and skull. I thought, cool, but how do they work together? So I put them in a search engine and voila, All is Vanity, Charles Allan Gilbert’s 1892 optical illusion. When you first look at his sketch (top) you might immediately see the woman looking in her mirror, but if you stare at the image long enough you’ll see the skull, the symbol for death.

That’s pretty cool. With the two images side by side, the skull really comes out in your cover art.

Your heroine, Keleigh Flaherty has a Celtic origin. How closely did you follow the Celtic folklore? And did you have to put a lot of research into bring the Celtic aspect to life?

Keleigh Flaherty was born a vate, she comes from a hereditary line of vates and her magical abilities are as much a part of her DNA as her strawberry sorbet hair or her moss green eyes. I tried to closely follow Celtic folklore and combine that with what little is known about druids and vates, but there isn’t a lot material available since the Roman’s systematically wiped the druids out and the druid tradition was an oral one, leaving little documentation. I loosely based Keleigh’s magical abilities on other hereditary lines of witchcraft. I spent many hours on research and I’m arranging much of my research into a compendium.

How I imagine The Seer.

What was the hardest aspect about writing All’s Fair in Vanities Wars?

The hardest part of writing All’s Fair in Vanities War was getting a balance on the relationship between the main characters, Locke, Keleigh and The Seer. They are sort of tied into a love triangle, but one of them is dead, so you’d think that would take The Seer out of the equation, but it doesn’t because not only was her life forfeited by someone, we don’t know who yet, but she has been reborn to watch over someone. The Seer initially thinks its Locke, but she later learns its Keleigh. You have to ask yourself how much love does it take The Seer to watch the person she loves, fall in love with Keleigh, and how much more affection does it take The Seer to accept their love as legitimate. The Seer is a very special spirit, you can “Like” her at: http://www.facebook.com/TheSeers7DeadlyFairyTales

Self-sacrificing love is always so heartbreaking. It makes me tearful just thinking about loving someone enough to step aside so they can love another.

Before we get too deep and weepy, how about a lighter topic? What’s your favorite part of the publishing process?

My favorite part of the publishing process is the actual writing. I love creating stories and characters that people know and understand. I like making them so real that when they hurt you feel their pain and you shed tears right along with them. I’d like to believe that when the characters find happiness you can also feel their joy. But recently, I’ve found through reading reviews, that I discover new things about the characters I created, from other people. When readers figure out things about characters that I never really put my finger on and yet somehow the reader knows the character or understand the character enough to figure it out, well, it’s a very rewarding feeling.

It is an amazing experience to see a piece from the readers’ eyes.

How about a brief description of a story you have hidden in your skeleton closet? And will it ever see the light of day?

I have a lot of stories in my skeleton closet, probably more than I’ll ever be able to write, but I’ve been toying with a Steampunk concept about an alternate history of the civil war in which the American Indians keep all their lands west of Kansas because they were smart enough to lasso the iron horse while the North and South were fighting. The Indians control the railroad lines and a train is the ultimate Steampunk contraption. Will the book ever see the light of day??? Hopefully, it all depends on how fast I can type.

I just got into Steampunk last year. That definitely sounds like something I’d like to read. What are you working on now?

Right now I’m working on several things. First, I’m doing the Compendium for The Seer’s 7 Deadly Fairy Tales which should be out, cross your fingers, sometime in the end of February. If you’re interested in learning more about Celtic mythology and the world behind All’s Fair in Vanities War you can ‘Like’ The Seer as mentioned above and follow her on Facebook, because she’ll announce when the Compendium is launched.

I’m almost finished with a paranormal book about a vampire who’s been searching for something for 600 years, and it’s not blood, but a very special breeder. And then I’ve written a few chapters in my next Chick Lit book, it’s about a race car driver and an interior designer, one was given up for adoption and the other one gave someone up for adoption and they’re both waving checkered flags in each other’s faces. These two are constantly bickering in my head and I burst out laughing in public and my girls look at me and say, “Luke or Lori Lei?” I shrug and say, “Wait and see.”

Book II in The Seer’s 7 Deadly Fairy Tales will be out hopefully by October, and let’s put it this way, Balor isn’t used to not getting what he came for when he crosses into our world.

Cool deal. Anything special you’d like to say to the readers?

The only thing else I can think to add is the covers of my adult titles. Feel free to check them out especially Cutters Vs. Jocks because it’s free!

Also we authors love to hear from our readers. So feel free to email me if you’d like to be added to my mailing list. My website should also go live next month, but until then check out my super cool holding page at: http://www.elizabethmarxbooks.com

Giveaway Time

Ms. Marx is offering two digital copies of her novel All’s Fair in Vanities Wars. Entry is super easy. Just leave a comment about an interesting tidbit you learned from the interview along with your email address. That’s it! You’re entered.

*Giveaway ends February 7, 2012. Please see Giveaway Policy for nitty gritty.

Grand Giveaway

Readers also have an opportunity to win the $50 Grand Prize. To enter:

You must “LIKE” The Seer’s Facebook page
Post one of her best lines from All’s Fair in Vanities War on the wall. Yes, this means you have to read the book in order to participate.

Thank you, Ms. Marx, for sharing yourself with our readers and the opportunity to read one of your works.

Who Art Thou Thursday: Rhiannon Paille

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Oct 132011

Rhiannon Paille has joined us again. If you recall, she teased us a bit on Tuesday with her latest release. Today, she’s going to let us pick her brain.

Tell us about your most recent publication.

FLAME of SURRENDER is my YA DEBUT.

It’s about the boy who follows death falling in love with a girl who could cause the apocalypse.

They have a whirlwind romance which distracts him from who he is and gives him a form of temporary happiness.

And like most things, their romance is doomed. The ferryman dies, the boy has to become the next and when he denies his destiny, the ones searching for the girl find her.

Being a weapon she’s rather important to the villainous types and so they come for her, they need her to complete their evil plans.

And she’s not really strong enough to fight them, neither is the boy, but she has to be the one to choose whether or not she faces them, hides, or awakens the flame inside of her and potentially destroys herself.

How do you come up with your cover art?

That was all Sam, I explained this on my blog in a longer answer, but basically in 2010 I asked Sam to cosplay Kaliel and she did. We shot a short from the book called “Journey to the Great Oak” which is kind of a pivotal scene in the book. We also took some stills during the shoot and one of those stills because the book cover. I had Rachel over at Parajunkee make it look pretty and all, but otherwise it was all Sam.

Which of your characters do you relate to most?

I relate to both Kaliel and Krishani equally. I’m not a good person to ask this because I’m a psychic so really, when someone else is in my head, I relate to them. I understand people on a deeper level so I can’t say that I don’t understand something when I can feel how they feel and see the things they see and hear their thoughts. I have my own personality of course which remains separate, but I am very good at relating to people in general. When it comes to my characters though from all the WIPs I have on the go, Kaliel and Krishani have always been my favorites. They’re the ones I want to share with the world, I mean they’ve been stuck in my head so long it’ll be nice for them to infect other people with their personalities and their hardships for a change.

What about Ferrymen do you find so sexy?

I should clarify that I find Krishani sexy. I mean he’s not really your garden variety death walker, he’s a lot more intricate than that. The biggest thing I find sexy is that Ferrymen aren’t actually the enemy. They’re the hero, they save souls, preventing them from being devoured by soul eaters that would destroy them. Yes we have a macabre image of them being the harbingers of death but that’s not the entire truth. They can pass souls by using the boat, or they do it on the white horse, or they can do it the way the Valkyries do it and fly. There’s plenty of avenues to death, the Ferryman is just a messenger. I also find their story is one that is mostly untold, like they’re never the main focal point of a story, neither are the flames for that matter, and I thought it was high time to give them the spotlight, in particular, Krishani and Kaliel, the Ferryman and the Flame that were in love, and all the tragedy and mayhem that happened because of it.

Also, Orlando Bloom. In POTC his character Will Turner took over for Davy Jones. And you can’t tell me that he wasn’t sexy.

No objections here. I could certainly think up a few erotic scenes for him.

What are you working on now?

FLAME of the BEGINNING, it’s a novella that tells the story of the first age, the first time The Ferryman and The Flame met. I have an outline I just need to find the time to get it out there.

Give us a brief description of a story you have hidden in your skeleton closet? And will it ever see the light of day?

The first story I ever wrote was called The New Doll. It was about a doll that was possessed by a spirit that would never go away. It traveled between a set of twins, and eventually switched bodies and somehow the twins managed to find a happy ending.

I’ve begun rewriting it and my inspiration for it is Ellen Paige. I think about movies like Whip It and Juno and Scott Pilgrim. It’s all Indie Rock, and Osborne Village and small town living and stuff. The twins have some interesting quirks. Wish Waters is allergic to everything, afraid of everything and beyond shy. She’s very prone to panic attacks. Her twin sister Blush Waters is the exact opposite, she’s been dissecting squirrels since she was eight, she’s a genius, total scientific mind, and likes to rebuild cars, make model rockets for fun and otherwise be a pain in the ass for her teachers.

And the doll is still in there somewhere I promise . . . but it’s become something more.

I might put it out there just for the people that might like it, but I mean, I have lots of other things up my sleeve.

When did you first decide you wanted to be a writer?

When I had a story to tell. I otherwise wouldn’t have resumed my love of writing.

What about your Psychic Ability? Does it influence your writing and/or direction of your writing career?

Yes it does obviously! There are a few ways it influences me. For one, I read minds, and I find when I “create” a character, I’m not so much creating them as I am pulling them from the universe. My best characters are always real people, I just use my fictional skills to bring out the best in their personalities. I “listen” a lot to my characters and that helps me find their voice. Most of them are obviously “spirit guides” or “on the other side” now, or they’re going through a reincarnation cycle or they’re timeless like most of the Elders. Actually, most of the elders in the book are spirit guides who have guided me on my path in metaphysics.

The second nifty thing I can do is retro project. Unlike astral projection I project myself into the past, and that helps me get more of a feel for the history of a place. I don’t use it for technical details as I like to bend the rules a bit, but for tone, attitude, and feel, I do try to go back to when I’m writing about and write from then.

Third, I learned how to do meditation, trance and immramma when I was studying Druidism at the Grove of Dana College, and immramma allows me to travel to the otherworlds. I’ve astral traveled to many places, including to the other world I created Avristar after.

Really, this book wouldn’t exist without my abilities as they really helped me form the way the traditions, the magic, the metaphysics, the characters and the world works. There isn’t anything about this book that my abilities didn’t affect.

I love your education and credentials. For a muggle like me, I find them fascinating.Will you share with us a little about when you realized you could use your abilities toward a career path?

A lot of bad stuff happened to me when I was growing up and learning about my abilities. I actually tell people that my life is an urban fantasy complete with the psychics, the witches, the vampires, the shapeshifters and all the other scary stuff out there.

I didn’t turn it into a career until I was 20 and I was by the seat of my pants getting out there and reading professionally while also studying. I had practiced my craft for 2 years before doing it professionally, and I used to write my techniques down so that I knew what I was doing and when. From there I developed a lot of political views about metaphysics and how it’s so separate from religion and it’s so useful as a form of therapy. In terms of what I do, I’m a therapist that really uses my gift to help people in whatever way they need. It’s an interesting job, but it’s nice to be able to know things about people without them telling me and to be able to tell them things they don’t know but need to be aware of.

What’s the hardest part of the writing process?

Vocabulary. I don’t know what happened, but in elementary school I was expanding my vocabulary and then teachers said I was an awesome writer and I just stopped growing. I never learned all the small four and five letter words that I should have, like gait, taut, carom, and others. I suppose as a writer I’m attached to my thesaurus like glue, always looking for a new interesting word.

And yep, I’m the type to read a book and remember the cool words the authors used.

And the easiest?

Imagining. I don’t have a problem with watching the stories in my head and I usually watch the story over and over again before I write it out. I like to let it live and grow in my subconscious for awhile before putting it on paper. Some of the best scene

With hindsight being 20/20, is there anything you would have changed with your publishing journey?

Not a thing. I’m a lucky girl in a lot of ways because for me it wasn’t just finding a publisher that was special. It was finding a group of cosplayers / film students / photographers / musicians / cgi special effects designers that made it special. I found people who took my vision for the story, stood by me and turned it into reality long before I ever had interest from an editor. I’ve never had interest from literary agents, which is fine with me, but I did get to work with Jennifer Laughran who critiqued this manuscript and I still think she’s great even if she doesn’t represent me.

In the end, I can’t say that my journey has been like anyone else’s, it’s been VERY unique, and it’s only just beginning.

This is one instance in which I don’t know the future

Who would you say is your biggest fan in your writing career?

I don’t even know . . . there’s Sammie Spencer who was the first Beta Reader to love the book, but there’s also Samantha Wiebe who cosplayed Kaliel first and got the character down after reading five pages of the book. Then there’s also Jello (yep, that’s her nickname) and she’s just interested in the world, and the characters and loves being involved in my film projects that have to do with the book.

Who is your favorite author and why?

I have two of them who run neck and neck with me. Cassandra Clare and Maggie Stiefvater. I love Stiefvater for her prose and I love Clare for her writing style and her dirty sexy scenes. I love them both for the characters they create.

Do you have any advice for other writers?

Write a crappy story first. Honestly, take your worst idea and do it first. Save all the golden nuggets of ideas for when you’ve found your voice as a writer, worked out all the kinks in your prose, your POV preferences, your adverbs and your sentence structure.

Once you’ve mastered all of that, there’s only two things you need to do, OUTLINE, and WRITE LIKE A MOTHERFUCKER.

How about some quickies!

Pencil or Pen: Pen

Print or Cursive: Print

Pantser or Plotter: Plotter

Favorite Candy: Swedish Berries

Worst habit: Nail biting

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About the Rhiannon Paille

Once upon a time there was a pretty little girl. She was psychic but she didn’t know it yet. She met a boy who died of leukemia and she knew. The rest is history.

When she was growing up she read a lot of books and wrote a lot of stories. She used to read in the fading light of dusk, squinting to see the words until they blurred into inky nothingness. And then she would dream about the boy that died. She imagined an entire life with him, but she never thought she’d see him again.

And then one day her life turned into an urban fantasy. She could hear people’s thoughts and see the future, and feel people’s emotions. She saw ghosts, spirit guides, and demons. She didn’t know what any of it meant.

And then she met that special someone that changed her life, a man whose name she had written down once in her diary. He taught her about being psychic, and helped her accept what she was.

Nowadays she reads a lot, and writes a lot. By day she reads minds, heals people, and fights demons, personal and metaphysical. By night she writes about ferrymen and flames and psychics and awkward people. She’s not omnipotent but some people think she is, she’s an over qualified over achiever with a PhD, and if she were a food she’d be a Chinese buffet, exotic but ordinary.

She thinks ferrymen are sexy.

She hopes you think they’re sexy too.

Connect with Rhiannon Paille on her Website

Find Flame of Surrender

Rhiannon Paile at:

Amazon and Smashwords

Who Art Thou Thursday: Gerard de Marigny

Interviews, Weekly Schedule, Who Art Thou Thursdays 4 Responses »

Sep 082011

Guess what? okay. Don’t guess. Gerard de Marigny has returned, this time for a little Q&A. Plus!!!! A little birdie told me his latest work, The Watchman of Ephraim, is up for grabs on Goodreads. If you haven’t entered the giveaway, definitely do that. Ends 9/11.

So, tell us about your most recent publication.

I published my debut novel, the political thriller, The Watchman of Ephraim, in January (2011) and I’m very proud of it. It’s a dream come true for me!

TWOE is a story about a guy named Cris De Niro. He’s a Brooklyn, NY-born and raised, self-made billionaire who lost his wife and unborn child in the North Tower of the World Trade Center on 9/11. De Niro turns to his Judeo-Christian faith to deal with his rage. He reads a passage in the Bible about ‘The watchman of Ephraim’ that changes his life.

The United States is modern Ephraim in prophesy and De Niro knows that. So he decides to become the modern-day Watchman of Ephraim by acquiring a counter-terrorism firm – renaming it “The Watchman Agency.”

He puts together a remarkable staff, starting with his deceased wife’s brother, Captain Louis “Mugsy” Ricci, USN SEALS (Ret.) and not a moment too soon because his agency immediately comes across a connection between a Mexican drug cartel and an Iranian businessman with ties to radical Islam.

Lots of stuff starts happening from there – one of The Watchman’s agents goes missing in Monterrey, Mexico and his disappearance may be linked to a mole within the Agency. Strange events start to occur at the U.S./Mexican border. The Watchman’s covert paramilitary arm, ARCHANGEL is sent down there to investigate. They team up with the head of the famed ‘Shadow Wolves’ Native American border patrol unit. The Watchman and ARCHANGEL figure out that something very big and very bad is planned to happen and soon … and it all culminates on the 10th anniversary of 9/11.

Meanwhile, De Niro is still coming to terms with the loss of his soulmate and wife, Lisa. His faith and his love for his two sons, Richard and Louis are all that keep him from losing himself to his rage. Things become even more complicated for him when he’s introduced to Dr. Moriah Stevens, a beautiful widow who also lost her husband on 9/11. Stevens falls for De Niro and he has feelings for her but his devotion to his wife is just too strong … even after 10 years.

The 10th anniversary of 9/11 is when it all happens – when our country is targeted for another terrorist attack even more catastrophic than the original 9/11 attack – when our border is breached – and when a man who’s already lost the love of his life to terrorism, has his children and himself targeted.

But this time, Cris De Niro can do something about it – and let me tell you, these terrorists will learn a lesson about tangling with a tough Italian from Brooklyn … especially when you mess with his kids!

How much of you/your life do you put into your stories?

There’s actually a lot of my life in The Watchman of Ephraim, specifically because of the topic it opens with … 9/11.

My wife and I lost a dear friend in the North Tower of the World Trade Center on 9/11, Danny Afflitto. We were also friendly with others who lost their lives in the Twin Towers that horrible day. We attended a lot of funerals … too many funerals.

My anger and frustration caused by 9/11 ultimately lead to my writing TWOE. I did my best to honor the friends and families of 9/11 victims by depicting the actual event, specifically, the crashing of American Airlines Flight 11 into the North Tower, as accurately as I could.

But I wanted to do more than that – I wanted to convey some of the angst, some of the overwhelming grief that loved ones felt. I was with Danny’s wife Stacey when he actually called her just minutes after the plane hit the tower. His last words to her were, “I think a bomb just went off, there’s fire and smoke everywhere … kiss the baby, I love you!” Then the line went dead.

Stacey went into shock … and she didn’t even realize she was pregnant with their 2nd son – a son Danny never even knew about because she only found out 3 days later. I can tell you, including my own Dad’s dying in front of me (peacefully, from illness), that was the most traumatic event I ever experienced. I was overwhelmed with compassion for Stacey but more than that, I was overwhelmed with a feeling of utter helplessness. I couldn’t do a thing for her, to ease her pain or to save Danny. It’s something I still haven’t gotten over.

In a way, TWOE was my way of dealing with that feeling of helplessness. Writing a work of fiction falls far short of truly comforting the people who lost loved ones – it doesn’t bring any of them back and it doesn’t punish the people who were responsible … but it’s all I can do.

Back to your question, in order for me to convey some of the emotion of that day – in order to drop the readers into that overwhelmingly powerful moment, I felt I had to write from the mindset of a husband who lost his own wife and unborn son in the Tower. I had to assume the role of the lead character Cris De Niro and I had to kill his wife … my wife, Lisa.

It was pretty radical, especially since I didn’t tell my wife, who’s one of the editors, or my sons … who became pretty upset when they read that mommy died in the book.

Sounds like you get pretty emotionally involved in your writing. Makes for a powerful piece. Which of your characters do you relate to most?

Cris De Niro and I both have the same mindset and worldview. We’re from the same old neighborhood, like the same food and drink and both moved into the Las Vegas valley.

The difference is, he’s a billionaire who could do something about the things that frustrate me most in the world.

He’s also better looking. (grin)

What’s the hardest part of the writing process?

The hardest part for me is actually opening the Word file and getting to work. Once I do, I’m okay, but for reasons I haven’t fully understood – I seem to procrastinate.

I’ve been mentored by a great writer, Dean Wesley Smith, through his excellent blogs and from personal communications. One of the things he told me I needed to do in order to become successful is to turn out 3-4 novel-length works per year. So, I’m continually working at removing obstacles to writing every day.

I’m totally with you with the procrastination bug. What’s the easiest part of the writing process?

The easiest part for me is coming up with storylines and characters – that’s a blessing from God.

My brother and I had a harsh upbringing. We dealt with it in different ways. He escaped by never being home. I was a homebody, so the only way for me to escape was to invent storylines and disappear into them. There always seemed to be a hero-type character in my storylines that could do the things I couldn’t do – take on the bullies in the world and save those in distress.

I’ve been inventing these stories my whole life – the difference is now, I writing them down and sharing them with others – but I’m never at a loss for storylines or characters … the world is full of characters to me.

With hindsight being 20/20, is there anything you would have changed with your publishing journey?

Yes, definitely – I would have started MUCH younger! I’ve been writing bits and pieces of the stories in my head for most of my life but I never had the confidence to publish them. I made some halfhearted attempts in late 1980′s but that was it.

I spent most of my life working at jobs that I really didn’t enjoy, feeling like I was meant to do something else – something that I’d love to do. I can’t believe I didn’t realize that my calling was to write literary works. Other than my Faith and my family, nothing satisfies me more.

If it weren’t for my wife Lisa, back in June 2009, literally scolding me to “finish a book and PUBLISH IT!” because she could see how depressed I was becoming, I wouldn’t even be here. I published my first work, TWOE this January, at 47 years old. <sigh> So many years wasted … but at least I’m doing what I love now.

What are you working on now?

I’m completing my second novel right now. It’s the sequel to TWOE, the 2nd installment in The Watchman of Ephraim series, called Signs of War.

It’ll be out by September (’11) … I’m very excited about it!

Then I’ll immediately start work on the third in the series. The storyline for that one is already shaping out. I’m intending to get that one out by either December (’11) or January (’12).

Thanks for asking!

How about some quickies!

Pencil or Pen: Pencil

Print or Cursive: Cursive

Pantser or Plotter: Plotter

Favorite Candy: Anything with caramel in/on it

Worst habit: My wife says I’m a control freak – I guess I’ll go with that. (grin)

This was definitely the most heartfelt interview I’ve had the opportunity of conducting. Thanks for sharing with us, Gerard.

***************************

About the Gerard de Marigny

Gerard de Marigny is the author of the geopolitical thriller, The Watchman of Ephraim, Book 1 of THE WATCHMAN OF EPHRAIM series. The sequel, Signs of War is scheduled for release in September 2011.

Gerard de Marigny resides in the beautiful foothills of Las Vegas, NV with his wife Lisa and his four sons. When not bending an arm with friends at the local pub, he’s putting to paper the stories and characters that are alive in his mind.

Connect with Gerard de Marigny online: Website, SelfPubber’s Pub, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, LinkedIn, and MySpace

Find The Watchman of Ephraim by Gerard de Marigny at:

Signed Hardcovers and Paperbacks

And don’t forget to enter the giveaway at Goodreads!

Who Art Thou Thursday: Callie Norse

Interviews, Weekly Schedule, Who Art Thou Thursdays No Responses »

Sep 012011

I love new releases, don’t you? Well today, Callie Norse has returned with another novel under her belt. I feel like we should have some kind of wavy time warp thing, cause Callie Norse was one of the first authors to join us on the Who Art Thou Thursdays post. While we reminisce, let’s see what she’s up to these days.

Tell us a little about your latest release.

I’m excited to finally get this book published. My readers of For the Love of Lisa have been anxious for this 2^nd book of the Carrington series since they first read For the Love of Lisa after its release last September. A Love Too Soon takes place 1 ½ yrs. after For the Love of Lisa ends. This book will catch readers up somewhat if they haven’t already read the first of the series. The same characters are in this book that are in the end of the 1^st, plus 2 additional main characters. It is romance/mystery. Mystery begins in the first pages. My beta readers are as excited as I am about this book. They tell me they feel an attachment to the characters and it is just as much of a page turner as the 1^st of the series. It is an easy read with much action, intrigue and twists.

A steamy, story of love…intermingled with supernatural intrigue…a new tender love story with a twist…

Greg and Marta have married and continue to live in the old Victorian with Maggie. The birth of a new baby brings much happiness until…

An occurrence in the hospital brings back memories of Lisa. This is only the beginning of problems. Will the marriage survive?

Lori and Steve adopt a ten-year-old son, Toby. He and Maggie become great friends. She nicknames him Toby Keith.

Marta works from the home, in the newly remodeled Mansard. History repeats itself with a horrible accident. Will trouble end there?

They move from the old Victorian and live happily ever after…but that would be a fairy tell ending, wouldn’t it?

A Love Too Soon?

Where did you get your inspiration for A Love Too Soon?

I knew there was so much more I could say about the Carringtons. For the Love of Lisa seemed like only the beginning. Greg had just begun his new life with Marta. There was a whole new marriage to write about. I’m not a plotter, so I didn’t know myself where this marriage was going, except that Marta was pregnant in the Epilogue of For the Love of Lisa. I started with the birth of the baby, writing a scene at a time, letting my imagination take me to the next scene. Ideas for A Love Too Soon seemed to flow freely as I wrote.

When you wrote For the Love of Lisa, did you know it’d be a series?

I don’t think I thought much about it being a series, until I wrote the Epilogue. Until then my mind was too focused on how For the Love of Lisa was going to end. After the Epilogue, I knew I wanted to continue with my writing, and knew a sequel to this book would be a great way to continue, as there was so much more to be said about the Carringtons.

Your second release. How was the writing process different this time around?

I had learned so much with the guidelines iuniverse gives. This time I wasn’t stumbling over format, or punctuation and grammar. It was more enjoyable. I knew I could do it this time. The doubts were gone. I had a basis for my plot from For the Love of Lisa. This gave me much to work with. I had fallen in love with my characters and I, myself was interested in learning where I could take their lives. It is so different than reading a book. I can take my characters anywhere I want. I truly enjoyed writing this book, and love where it took me. We shall see if the readers agree. I expect some criticism, but the book seemed to go that direction as I wrote. It touched my heart. Let’s see if it does so with the readers.

You went through iUniverse for both books. Why did you decide to go with them?

I had tried the traditional route with For the Love of Lisa. Each publisher wanted something different for querying. It was time consuming and disappointing when I would receive rejections. I was once told by Thomas Eadie who was with a traditional publishing Co., and had started a self-publishing Co., that there is no money in traditional publishing for authors. He felt that was unfair to the creators of the work. I therefore decided to research self-publishing companies. I chose iuniverse because they had services to offer if I felt the need. I did begin with an editor evaluation, which helped me learn where my weaknesses were and how to correct them. I wasn’t ready to be totally on my own with another company. I felt I needed some guidance. I went with them for this book, too, as I didn’t want to take the time to learn the hows of another company. I plan to go with another, such as CreateSpace for the next in the series, An Anniversary…not to be forgotten, which is completed in rough draft form.

How was the publishing process different with your second book from your first book?

I didn’t start with an evaluation. I waited to submit my book block until after it was edited and polished it. I expected it to go quite fast as it did with the 1^st book at that point. It seemed to go much slower. First off, I was asked to revise some scenes, as I wasn’t familiar with their underage sex scene policy. (The word cleavage was not even allowed for the underage.) They have no restrictions for the adults, so there are still steamy scenes. I revised the underage scenes and submitted them. They were approved after a wait while the person overseeing this was on vacation. (Just my luck). After that, it still seemed to go slower than the first book. Perhaps they were busier this time, or maybe I’m not as patient.

Where can readers find your works?

I believe my books can be found at almost any online book store, such as…

Callie Norse at Amazon

Callie Norse at Barnes & Nobles

Callie Norse at the Book Depository

One should be able to order them at most book stores…

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About Callie Norse

I have always loved to read. My eighth grade English teacher required us to write short stories. This is when I first learned I loved to write. When my three children were young, I would write short stories, dreaming of someday having time to write seriously. After my parents passed away 16 days apart, I wrote a book on the loss of elderly parents and how devastating it can be, even when they are elderly. I completed the book, but have never published it. Later, I developed a short story into For the Love of Lisa.