#ThisorThatThusday Author Interview with Bethany Barker/Carol Silvis

I’d like to welcome Bethany Barker (Carol Silvis) to the blog for #ThisorThatThursday!

Things you never want to run out of: chocolate, iced tea, TP

Things you wish you’d never bought: decorative items that now collect dust

Hardest thing about being a writer: Editing several times and still being objective

Easiest thing about being a writer: Coming up with ideas

Things you need for your writing sessions: pen, paper, computer, internet, reference books

Things that hamper your writing: interruptions

Words that describe you: outgoing, cheerful, intelligent

Words that describe you, but you wish they didn’t: not a risk taker

Favorite foods: chocolate, coconut cream pie, strawberry chicken salad, French onion soup

Things that make you want to gag: anything from the sea

Something you’re really good at: teaching

Something you’re really bad at: sports

Favorite music or song: I love country music—too many songs to choose one

Music that drives you crazy: rap

Favorite places you’ve been: I’ve been to 48 states and love traveling—favorite city is San Diego

Places you never want to go to again: Yuma, AZ

Favorite books (or genre): cozy mystery, thrillers, rom-com

Books you wouldn’t buy: horror

Favorite things to do: spend time with family and friends, travel, shop

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

Besides writing, what’s the most creative thing you’ve done: flower arranging, crocheting, painting

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

About Bethany/Carol:

Carol Silvis is the author of six college textbooks, three business books, a story in an anthology, an article in The Writer’s Market, a dozen creative nonfiction stories, and over fifty newsletter articles. Her first novel, Murder and Mayhem, The Suzie Tuft Mystery Series, is available under the pen name Bethany Barker.

She has been interviewed for Yahoo.com, AARP Online, CBSMoneywatch.com, newspapers, and magazines. She was video interviewed by Tory Johnson for ABCNews.com and appeared on half-hour shows for Cornerstone TV, HMC-TV Channel 20, and WIUP-TV.

Carol is a member of Sisters in Crime and Pennwriters. She has held several offices for Pennwriters, including president, and remains on the Board. A former teacher, she holds a master’s in adult education. She has given workshops at conferences nationwide.

Let’s Be Social:

Visit her website http://carolsilvis.com

Find her on carolsilvis@facebook.com, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

#WriterWednesday Interview with Gretchen McCullough

I’d like to welcome Gretchen McCullough to the blog for #WriterWednesday!

Hardest thing about being a writer: To hold on to your work as long as possible before you send it out. Make sure it has been fully revised.

Easiest thing about being a writer: It feels like play, making up stories.

Something you are good at: I play a decent game of doubles. I started when I was twelve and played about four hours a day until I was eighteen.

Something you are bad at: I was a terrible math student. Driven demented by geometry in high school. I managed to pass algebra, but only after my mom hired a tutor.

Things you always put in your books: I love animals, and they usually appear in my novels and stories.

Things you never put in your books: I don’t ever remember a ghost.

Favorite books (or genre): During Covid, I read almost every single thriller by Henning Mankell, the Swedish writer. That is, until I couldn’t take any more murders.

Books you wouldn’t buy: Self-help books on getting rich.

People I’d invite to dinner: I would have loved to meet Mark Twain. Apparently, he was an incredible speaker.

Someone I’d cancel on: The commentator on El-Gezira, Marwan Bishara.

A few of your favorite things: Believe it or not, Cheetos can become scarce in Cairo. We have a huge plastic bag in the kitchen, just for hoarding Cheetos. I know they aren’t good for you, but perfect when you are reading a good book.

Things you need to throw out: We have hundreds of tajin pots from ordering stews. We have no space left in the cupboard for them.

Favorite things to do: Play pool at the Carleton Hotel in Cairo

Things you’d run through a fire or eat bugs to get out of doing: Filing insurance claims on the computer.

The funniest thing to happen to you: A translator wanted to translate Shahrazad’s Tooth into Hungarian. (Shahrazad’s Gift is a reprint of this book.) It was also printed at a Hungarian prison.

The most embarrassing thing to happen to you: During an interview in Arabic on television, I confused two letters in a word. Instead of saying interpretation, I said whistle!

The nicest thing a reader said to you: After reading your stories, I think you are half-Egyptian!

The craziest thing a reader said to you: Too many characters.

Some real-life story that made it to one of your books: One of our neighbors in Cairo actually did throw an egg at the neighbor in the building next to us. This inspired the story, “Taken Hostage by the Ugly Duck.”

Something in your story that readers think is about you, but it’s not: I am maladroit and not very tech-savvy, but I am not a professor of biology, like the character in “On the Run.” I am also not a man!

About Gretchen:

Gretchen McCullough was raised in Harlingen Texas. After graduating from Brown University in 1984, she taught in Egypt, Turkey and Japan. She earned her MFA in creative writing from the University of Alabama and was awarded a teaching Fulbright to Syria from 1997-1999.

Her stories, essays and reviews have appeared in The Barcelona Review, Archipelago, National Public Radio, Story South, Guernica, The Common, The Millions and the LA Review of Books. Translations in English and Arabic have been published in: Nizwa, Banipal, Brooklyn Rail in Translation, World Literature Today and Washington Square Review with Mohamed Metwalli. Her bi-lingual book of short stories in English and Arabic, Three Stories from Cairo, translated with Mohamed Metwalli was published in July 2011 by AFAQ Publishing House, Cairo. A collection of short stories about expatriate life in Cairo, Shahrazad’s Tooth, was also published by AFAQ in 2013. Most recently, her translation with Mohamed Metwalli of his poetry collection, A Song by the Aegean Sea was published by Laertes Press, 2022. Confessions of a Knight Errant: Drifters, Thieves and Ali Baba’s Treasure, a novel was published by Cune Press, Fall 2022. Shahrazad’s Gift, a collection of short stories, is forthcoming February 2024 by the same press.

Let’s Be Social:

Website: www.gretchenmcculloughfictionwriter.com 

Facebook: Gretchen Michele McCullough 

Happy Mermaid Day!

Happy Mermaid Day! I’ve added this to the list of my holidays since I write the Mermaid Bay Christmas Shoppe Mysteries.

Here’s a list of Mermaid Advice that I received from mystery author Jayne Ormerod. Enjoy your celebration!

• “Sea” life’s beauty.

• Avoid “pier” pressure.

• Take time to coast.

• Make waves.

• Be sure of yourself.

• Don’t be “shellfish.”

• Seize the day.
  

#ThisorThatThursday Author Interview with Stephanie Caffrey

I’d like to welcome Stephanie Caffrey to the blog for #ThisorThatThursday!

Hardest thing about being a writer: Finding the time to actually sit down and write.

Easiest thing about being a writer: Creating the characters and their backstory.

Things you need for your writing sessions: My laptop, my folder full of research and character outlines, The Emotion Thesaurus, and my ear buds with my specific playlist for that project.

Things that hamper your writing: My children always seem to need me the second I sit down to write.

Words that describe you: Friendly, helpful, open, maternal

Words that describe you, but you wish they didn’t: Pushover.

Something you’re really good at: Things that are creative.

Something you’re really bad at: Spatial awareness and how it relates to filling that space with stuff.

Favorite music or song: I love classic rock, especially The Beatles.

Music that drives you crazy: Anything with heavy bass.

Things you’d walk a mile for: Really good food, specifically Greek food. We walked more than a mile in Dublin for Greek food last summer.

Things that make you want to run screaming from the room: Large insects and birds.

Things you always put in your books: Lots of humor.

Things you never put in your books: Open door sex scenes.

Favorite places you’ve been: Ireland and Turkey.

Places you never want to go to again: The Spook Cave.

Favorite books (or genre): Jane Eyre is my all-time favorite book.

Books you wouldn’t buy: Anything by talking heads.

Besides writing, what’s the most creative thing you’ve done: I’m really into crochet at the moment, and I made everyone I know stuffed animals.

A project that didn’t quite turn out the way you planned it: My attempt at doing a Bob Ross painting.

Some real-life story that made it to one of your books: In Mistaken Identity, Evelyn is traveling through London to get to Greece. We really did that on our honeymoon, and visited the place Evelyn is supposed to go on her dig.

Something in your story that readers think is about you, but it’s not: I haven’t had any experience with this yet, but I think once Be My Little Baby comes out people might think I’m sort of master baker, but I’m not. That’s my sister.

About Stephanie:

Stephanie R. Caffrey is a debut romantic suspense author who lives with her family in the Midwest. When she’s not working on her books, she’s a substitute teacher and loves to write fanfiction. She is a proud marginalized voice in the Mexican-American community. Besides writing, she enjoys sewing, knitting, and cross-stitching.  

Let’s Be Social:

 Website: www.srcaffrey.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/stephcaffreyauthor

Instagram: www.instagram.com/stephcaffreyauthor

X/Twitter: www.twitter.com/beatlechickstep

#WriterWednesday Interview with Bob Brill

I’d like to welcome Bob Brill to the blog for #WriterWednesday!

Things you never want to run out of: cold milk

Things you wish you’d never bought: Chevy Malibu

Hardest thing about being a writer: criticism/rejection

Easiest thing about being a writer: freedom

A few of your favorite things: baseball cards, photographs, books, collectibles

Things you need to throw out: 90-percent of my garage.

Words that describe you: stubborn, self-motivated, determined, energizer bunny, creative, diligent, hardworking, multi-tasker,

Words that describe you, but you wish they didn’t: defensive, stubborn

Something you’re really good at: writing

Something you’re really bad at: art, drawing, painting type of art

Favorite music or song: Come Monday by Jimmy Buffet

Music that drives you crazy: Hotel California

Favorite smell: Vine ripened tomato

Something that makes you hold your nose: canned tuna

Favorite places you’ve been: Italy

Places you never want to go to again: Disneyland

Favorite books (or genre): Books about U.S. Presidents

Books you wouldn’t buy: Graphic horror novels

People you’d like to invite to dinner: Kevin Costner

People you’d cancel dinner on: The Donald

The coolest person you’ve ever met: Nelson Mandella

The celebrity who didn’t look like he/she did in pictures/video: Richard Chamberlain

The nicest thing a reader said to you: I couldn’t put your book down

The craziest thing a reader said to you: I couldn’t put your book down

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

A project that didn’t quite turn out the way you planned it: The first shooting of a Martial Arts comedy short film, which we reshot and it was 100-percent better.

Some real-life story that made it to one of your books: Hitting a home run in Little League

Something in your story that readers think is about you, but it’s not: They wonder if I created the Lancer character to be what I wanted to be in the 1880’s.

About Bob:

Bob Brill is a well known and multi-award winning journalist with a long career in radio. A major market talent currently as a news anchor/reporter at KNX News Radio in Los Angeles, he is also an author of 13 books. He has written nearly 20 screenplays and Pilots and produced four short films. His full length Documentary “Shaken; The Great Sylmar Earthquake” airs on Amazon Prime and other platforms.

Journalist: Former National Correspondent and L-A Bureau Chief UPI Radio Network, Reporter and Anchorperson for many radio stations. Was a columnist for The Examiner, UPI wire service, and published the successful The Brill Report. Writes the popular weekly column “Baseball in the 1960s.”

Author: Seven books so far in the “Lancer; Hero of the West” series, plus “The Tattoo Murder,” “Fan Letters to a Stripper; A Patti Waggin Tale,” “Al Kabul, Home Grown Terrorist,” “No Barrier; How the Internet Destroyed the World Economy,” “Tales of My Baseball Youth; A Child of the 60’s,. “Beating the Slump; an athletes guide to a better career.” Ten Lancer books are planned.

Podcasts & Videocasts: “Interesting People with Bob Brill,” “Major League Stripper.”

Screenwriter: Written both features and pilots as well as those targeted for screeners. Wide variety from Biopics, westerns, two pandemic related, comedies, drama, sports related including period.

Producer: Documentary “Shaken; The Great Sylmar Earthquake.” It is a one-hour documentary based on the 1971 Sylmar earthquake. Four short films including the western “Sundown,” (multi awards), “The Girl From Sweden,” which has more than 1,000,000 views on YouTube.

Radio: News anchor/reporter KNX News Radio Los Angeles.

General: An icon in the sports trading card and memorabilia industry for decades.

Let’s Be Social:

Websites:

www.bobbrillfilms.com

www.bobbrillbooks.com

www.bobbrill.com

www.baseballinthe1960s.com

AMAZON Author page:

https://www.amazon.com/stores/Bob-Brill/author/B00411A3MY?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true

Bob Brill YouTube Channel:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfToqYTs5f3lMhlCdVmJgRw

Bob Brill Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/bobbrillsr

LinkedIN - https://www.linkedin.com/in/bob-brill-439411288/

Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/interesting-people-with-bob-brill/id1364250714

TikTok: @theebobbrill

“X”: https://twitter.com/BobBrillLA

Blog: www.baseballinthe1960s.com

What Have You Done Lately for Your Author Journey?

Every year, I help my team write their annual goals, and a big component of this is their developmental work. I work in IT, and technology and best practices are constantly changing. As an author, you need to continue your learning experiences to stay current with trends and to hone your skills. Here are some ideas:

• Take a class. Many libraries, writing organizations, and other organizations sponsor courses that appeal to writers. There are also thousands of YouTube videos that will show you how to do all kinds of things.

• Learn a new technology that will help you with your marketing (editing videos, creating memes, putting together a newsletter…).

• Learn how to use a social media platform that you haven’t joined yet.

• Attend a workshop or an author panel. There are so many available in-person and online.

• Attend a conference.

• Find the SMEs (Subject Matter Experts) online. Many have websites, tutorials, podcasts, and newsletters.

• Check out your local library’s website and look at all the programming and opportunities they offer.

• Many alumni associations, neighborhood associations, and civic groups offer programs for their members.

• Visit your local bookstores and check out their program calendars.

What else would you add to my list?

#ThisorThatThursday Author Interview with Kendra Q. Dodd

I’d like to welcome Kendra Q. Dodd to the blog for #ThisorThatThursday!

Things you never want to run out of: Water (conceptually - LOL its the first thing that came to mind), My hair products (I have curly hair and the struggle is real),

Things you wish you’d never bought: Subscriptions (sometimes I get hopeful and purchase too much, even apps)

Things you need for your writing sessions: Sticky Notes, Stick Flip Chart Paper, Highlighters, Laptop, Dry Erase Board, Multiple Ink Color, Index Cards

Things that hamper your writing: Being Interrupted

Words that describe you: Energetic, Encouraging, Thought-Provoking, Great Speaker/Communicator,

Words that describe you, but you wish they didn’t: Opinionated/Judgemental

The nicest thing a reader said to you: That they purchase extra copies of my book and gift to people that seem to need them

The craziest thing a reader said to you: that wish my book was less of a journal and they I told more stories about me

Things you’d walk a mile for: Gelato in Italy

Things that make you want to run screaming from the room: Dead Body (key word is want to, I don't do it but I really don't do well with funerals, wakes, I've gotter better the older I am with love ones but if its a stranger, I really don't want to go in)

Favorite foods: Strawberries, Melons (almost any kind), Stir-Fry, Any style of Rice

Things that make you want to gag: The smell of chicken, the smell of eggs, the smell of bacon - most meats and the smell of it are challenging for me

Something you’re really good at: organizing, looking at things big picture, listening, asking provoking questions

Something you’re really bad at: coloring, repetitive tasks, administrative style work, totally relaxing

Favorite smell: Vanilla

Something that makes you hold your nose: Paper Manufacturing Plants, Skunks (in college, could smell them), any artificial floral scent

The last thing you ordered online: compression socks

The last thing you regret buying: an electric hard egg cooker

Favorite books (or genre): Non-Fiction: History, Biography, Self-Help, Documentary

Books you wouldn’t buy: Romance Novels

Besides writing, what’s the most creative thing you’ve done: scrapbooking (manual and digital), video editing

A project that didn’t quite turn out the way you planned it: trying to refinish a table by using a marbleizing technique

About Kendra:

Kendra has devoted her life to creating environments of belonging, inclusiveness, and progression. Her tenacious and energetic disposition is engaging and yields proactive results.        

Let’s Be Social:

Facebook  

Website

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#WriterWednesday Interview with Mally Becker

I’d like to welcome the fabulous Mally Becker back to the blog for #WriterWednesday!

Things you need when you’re in your writing cave: A laptop, coffee, scratch paper for notes, and fuzzy socks.

Things that distract you from writing: Good weather, good music, or an empty coffee cup.

The coolest thing you’ve bought online:

A rowboat-sized sailboat. It was delivered to our house in a box—unassembled.

The thing you wished you’d never bought:

After my husband finished building that small boat-in-a-box in the cellar, we discovered it was too wide too take outside through the basement door.

Favorite snacks: Anything chocolate.

Things that make you want to gag: Calamari.

Something you’re really good at: Baking.

Something you’re really bad at: Softball.

Something you wanted to be when you were a kid: A dancer with the Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall.

Something you do that you never dreamed you’d do: Write mysteries! My Revolutionary War mysteries are available wherever books are sold, and I’m at work on a new story.

Last best thing you ate: Shrimp with green sauce and yellow rice from the Portuguese restaurant where my husband and I had our first date.

Last thing you regret eating: The (entire) giant chocolate cookie a friend brought me.

Things to say to an author: “I couldn’t go to sleep ‘til I finished your book.”

Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book: “I don’t read fiction. I don’t see the point. I mean, it’s not real, right?”

Favorite places you’ve been: Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument, New Mexico, Paris, Lake Placid, N.Y.

Places you never want to go to again: Middle school.

Favorite things to do: Kayak with my husband. Go to Mets games with the whole family. Visit wineries with friends.

Things you’d run through a fire or eat bugs to get out of doing: There are books in every room in our house, and I’ve promised to get rid of some. Well, a few. Maybe three. Just not today. Not tomorrow, either.

The funniest thing to happen to you: Being chased up the street by a wild turkey. (Don’t judge. They’re tall and mean!) It was so ridiculous that I burst out laughing as I sprinted away.

The most embarrassing thing to happen to you: Being chased by a wild turkey.

Best piece of advice you received from another writer: Most writers don’t make a ton of money. If you don’t find writing fun, don’t torture yourself. Find another line of work.

Something you would tell a younger you about your writing: Making up stories is even more fun than you imagine, and it’ll lead to some of the best adventures of your life. Enjoy the ride!

Recommendations for curing writer’s block: Writer’s block is my subconscious sending up a warning flag, forcing me to stop when I’ve written myself into a corner but don’t yet realize it. I go for a walk or to a movie, then brainstorm alternatives to find an alternative approach to the scene that’s giving me trouble.

Things you do to avoid writing: I’ve gotten more disciplined with time, but housekeeping chores are a great way to avoid writing.

About Mally:

Mally Becker is a two-time Agatha Award-nominated author of the Revolutionary War Mysteries, which include The Turncoat's Widow, The Counterfeit Wife, and The Paris Mistress. My stories feature Becca Parcell and Daniel Alloway—George Washington's two least likely spies—as they search for traitors in revolutionary-era Morristown, New York City,  Philadelphia, and Paris. I've woven fictionalized versions of real events and people into each story. I hope you enjoy Becca's and Daniel's adventures as much as I liked writing them.

​I was an attorney and volunteer advocate for foster children before becoming a full-time writer. When I'm not writing, you can find me at The Writers Circle Workshops, where I teach mystery writing, on Guns, Knives & Lipstick, the crime fiction Podcast I co-host with three fabulous female mystery writers, or online at the Historical Novel Society, where I interview other authors. I live with my husband in Somerset County, New Jersey, not too far from Morristown, where my first book is set. 

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