#WriterWednesday Interview with Bill McCormick

I’d like to welcome author Bill McCormick to the blog today for #WriterWednesday!

Hardest thing about being a writer: Writing; Selling.

Easiest thing about being a writer: Coming up with story ideas. If you open your eyes, see the world and have imagination, they are limitless.

Things you need for your writing sessions: To leave my house and go to another location whether that’s a café’, library, office, beach or park. If my bed is anywhere nearby or if I’ve a computer with access to the internet, I’ll never get anything done.

Things that hamper your writing: I’ve lived so long in foreign countries that hearing English spoken, even in the background, pulls my attention. I cannot write a word if there are English speakers about! I’m certain that rival writers send tourists to Riga to derail my career!

Something you’re really good at: Storytelling; Research.

Something you’re really bad at: Everything else!

Favorite music or song: The Beatles are by far my favorite artists, but I’ve done most of my writing to Alice Cooper, The White Stripes or 50’s era Miles Davis. Lately, I’ve been writing to Latvian industrial band Tesa. Good stuff.

Music that drives you crazy: Lawerence Welk-era champagne music; modern techno; pop country; any American folk that isn’t Bob Dylan.

Things you’d walk a mile for: A classic noir film showing; Kraft Mac & Cheese (you can’t get it in Europe); or just to see who or what is over that hill a mile away.

Things that make you want to run screaming from the room: Parents who bring infants to move theaters; people who believe the 2020 U.S. presidential election was stolen; writing a synopsis.

Things you always put in your books: Hitchcockian humor

Things you never put in your books: My first-person narrative of a mime somehow never has enough words…

Things to say to an author: “Sure, I’ll leave a great review on Amazon or Goodreads.”

Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book: “How come you can’t write as fast as Stephen King?”

Favorite places you’ve been: Riga, Latvia; Odesa, Ukraine; Krakow, Poland. Isle of Skye, Scotland; Mexico City, Mexico. The bohemian Uzipus neighborhood of Vilnius, Lithuania; Iceland’s endless tundra; jagged Alpine mountains; the healing sands of the Mojave Desert.

Places you never want to go to again: Moscow, Russia

Favorite books: Moby-Dick; Of Mice and Men; Ghost Stories of an Antiquary; The Maltese Falcon; The Iliad (Robert Fagles translation); Adventures of Sherlock Holmes; Atonement; Silence of the Grave; The Shadow District; And Then There Were None; The Black Dahlia; LA Confidential; The Big Nowhere; White Jazz; The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich; The Hound of the Baskervilles; The Shadow Over Innsmouth; The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt; Billy Budd; Hitler and Stalin Parallel Lives; A Brief History of Time; In the Name of the Rose; Republican Party Reptile; The Quiet American; The Third Man; Livy’s War with Hannibal; Tales of the Grotesque and Arabesque; Winning Through Intimidation; Where the Red Fern Grows; Dracula; The Turn of the Screw; Jaws; Camilla.

Books you wouldn’t buy: A cookbook. One of those Gone-With-the-Wind knockoffs with a cover where a muscular, shirtless man embraces a woman falling out of her dress in front of a castle, plantation or sea cliff; Anything having to do with Twilight or Dan Brown.

Favorite things to do: Explore the world; watch a classic film; listen to old time horror and mystery radio programs; go to a concert or sporting event; hike in the desert. mountains or seaside; try a new restaurant; learn something; laugh; listen to an audiobook.

Things you’d run through a fire or eat bugs to get out of doing: Did I mention writing a synopsis?

Most daring thing you’ve ever done: Quit my job and moved to Europe to become a writer.

Something you chickened out from doing: Spelunking caves in Nevada and Carpathia. At 6’4” undulating on my belly through 18-inch crevices in the Earth’s crust isn’t really for me.

The coolest person you’ve ever met: Reggie Jackson.

The celebrity who didn’t look like he/she did in pictures/video: I saw a surprisingly scrawny Mr. T in a Vegas casino once.

The nicest thing a reader said to you: A tearful reader of LENIN’S HAREM once thanked me for telling the English-speaking world about what happened to her family and so many other Baltic people deported by the Soviet regime. I don’t think any experience in my writing career has ever touched me as much. I think of that woman and her family often.

The craziest thing a reader said to you: “The Holodmor didn’t happen.”

Some real-life story that made it to one of your books: Stalin’s purge of his military is a key plot element in my novel LENIN’s HAREM. The Parex bank scandal, while heavily fictionalized, is the inspiration behind KGB BANKER.

Something in your story that readers think is about you, but it’s not: The CIA operative in KGB BANKER is not me! (Really people I’m not CIA!)

About William:

William Burton McCormick is an Edgar and Dagger awards-nominated writer of thriller and historical short fiction. His work regularly appears in Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine, The Saturday Evening Post and elsewhere. Twenty-four of his best stories were recently collected in the book DEEDS OF DARKNESS (Level Best Books), presently a finalist for a Silver Falchion Award for Best Collection released in 2024. He also is the author of three award-winning novels including KGB BANKER (with whistleblower John Christmas), A STRANGE FROM THE STORM, and LENIN'S HAREM, the last of which became the first work of fiction included in the permanent library at the Latvian War Museum in Riga. A native of Nevada, William has lived the last twenty years in Ukraine, Latvia, Russia, Estonia and the United Kingdom for writing purposes. Learn more about his work at williamburtonmccormick.com.

Let’s Be Social:

http://williamburtonmccormick.com

https://www.facebook.com/bill.mccormick.73345/

https://www.facebook.com/William-Burton-McCormick-365316520150776/

https://twitter.com/WBMCAuthor

https://www.instagram.com/williamburtonmccormickauthor/

https://www.goodreads.com/williamburtonmccormick

#WriterWednesday with Shamayne Olivia Kotfas

I’d like to welcome Shamayne Olivia Kotfas to the blog for #WriterWednesday!

A few of your favorite summer traditions: celebrating my birthday in August, family weekend getaways with my adult kids and grandkids, road trips to cooler places like the mountains. I live in Texas.

Something summer-related that you’ll never do again: water ski, I’m not as young as I used to be

Favorite summer treat: strawberry shortcake with lots of whipped cream

A summer treat that makes you gag: watermelon

Favorite summer beverage: Iced Tea

A drink that gives you a pickle face: Lemonade

Best summer vacation memory: Trip to St. Croix in the Virgin Islands after graduation with my best friends

A summer vacation disaster that you’d rather forget: Room 217 in Manitou Springs, CO. My husband and I were on a road trip in Colorado. He had a bad back from the drive. We visited The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park then drove to Manitou Springs for the night. Our hotel room had a very uncomfortable lumpy bed, an A/C fan that never shut off, and the sound of water running from a source we couldn’t find. Our night was miserable. As we checked out the next morning, we realized that our room number was the same room number at The Stanley Hotel where Stephen King had been inspired to write The Shining. We wondered if we had brought the ghosts with us when we left The Stanley Hotel.

Best summer vacation ever: Land/Water Cruise in Alaska, but before we left on the cruise we flew to Seattle. When we arrived at our rental for the night, all of my kids and grandkids had flown in from Texas to surprise me for my birthday.

Somewhere where you don’t ever want to return: I don’t have any places that I was so disappointed in that I’d never return. It’s more likely that there are still so many other places that I haven’t seen so I will choose to discover new places or visit familiar comfortable places that bring me joy.

Favorite thing to do on a summer evening: Sit on a patio anywhere and enjoy the warm Texas summer breeze.

Least favorite thing about summer: Mosquitos

The thing that you will most remember about your writing life: It’s a lot harder than I expected but very cathartic

Something in your writing life that you wish you could do over: I was too hard on myself and wish I could have been more compassionate towards myself during the process. It was a learning experience.

Most daring thing you’ve ever done: Public speaking and putting my life out for the whole world to read. It’s all relative I guess.

Something you chickened out from doing: Karaoke

The funniest thing to happen to you: While visiting Portland, OR one summer, we walked over to the park and rose garden a few blocks away. As we walked along the trail, a woman asked me if nudity was allowed in the parks. Being tourists ourselves we were surprised at the question. As we looked around more closely, we saw cyclists of all ages and sizes with their bikes and completely nude. We had stumbled upon Portland’s Annual Naked Bike Ride.

The most embarrassing thing to happen to you: I guess in some ways, this same incident felt embarrassing because we were one of the few people in the park wearing clothes.

About Shamayne Olivia:

Shamayne’s transformational journey started with a simple question, “Who am I?”. Her decades-long quest to reclaim her identity led to profound insights and realizations that are the foundation of her business, Shoes That Fit Her Soul, LLC.

Drawing from her vast corporate career and her personal experiences with generational trauma, Shamayne's authentic message guides women on a path towards personal and professional growth by fostering a renewed sense of passion, purpose, and confidence. Her workshop empowers women with the essential tools to get unstuck and move beyond the behaviors and patterns preventing them from realizing their full potential. Her first book explores these intricacies, removing the layers to uncover the fundamental steps needed to recover one's identity and enjoy a more meaningful life.

Shamayne lives in the Texas Hill Country, near Austin, with her husband and their two cats, Wrigley & Ivy. Living nearby are two of her adult children and three grandchildren, fulfilling her love of family time. In her spare time, she enjoys live music, visiting Major League ballparks, and traveling to the western states to experience nature, especially in the mountains, rivers, and national parks. It is there that she reconnects with her soul and discovers new ways to inspire her clients to live authentically.

Let’s Be Social:

Website: http://ShoesThatFitHerSoul.com

Facebook/Instagram: @shamayneolivia

#WriterWednesday with Patricia Black-Gould

I’d like to welcome Patricia Black-Gould to the blog for a summer edition of #WriterWednesday.

A few of your favorite summer traditions:

Give me a beach chair, a book, and a patch of sand, and I’m happy. It’s even better if there’s a breeze and a few blue herons and seagulls around, eyeing my snacks. If it’s too hot to sit still, I trade the book for a splash in the waves.

Something summer-related that you’ll never do again:

I was born and raised in the Northeast and didn’t know the meaning of “hot” weather. So why not take Dad and my son to Disney World in Florida, in July? I broke into a sweat when I got off the plane, and my eyeglasses steamed up. It went downhill from there. But somehow, we made it to a few attractions before the heat turned us into human puddles. The upside? No lines. I guess some people have better survival instincts.

Something crazy you did on vacation:

Back in my hippie days, hitchhiking was the way to travel. Just stick out your thumb and trust that the road (and a stranger’s Chevy) would take you somewhere interesting. Most rides were harmless, but occasionally a driver had other expectations. A polite “no thanks” usually did the trick back then. Looking back, I marvel at the nerve it took and how lucky I was.

Something you’d never do again on vacation:

Hitchhike. That thumb is officially retired. I still can’t believe I did it, lived to tell the tale. But it was part of the lifestyle back then. If my parents had known. Well, let’s say thank goodness they didn’t.

Best summer memory:

Every year, like clockwork, my family packed up and headed to the Jersey Shore, long before the Jersey Shore reality TV folks claimed it. Back then, it was all sun, sand, and surf plus one very determined accordion player who serenaded the boardwalk with “Roll Out the Barrel” over and over and over. What can I say? It was the early 1960s. We weren’t exactly grooving to The Beatles just yet, but somehow, it worked.

Something you’d rather forget:

Summer is when I lost my family: my mom in June, my dad in July, and my grandmother in August. So summers can hold a lot of grief. But summer also has the laughter, the sunburns, the splashes, and the stories we built together. Those memories will remain in my heart forever.

Funniest summer story:

I’m going to combine funny and embarrassing. Why? Decades after the story below, I can laugh at what happened. But on that day in my childhood, everyone around me laughed, except me. Funny how the things that made us want to become invisible as kids become the stories we tell at parties decades later.

Most Embarrassing Summer Story:

I was about eight or nine, and one sweltering summer day, I headed over to a friend’s house to play in her cool basement. As I pulled the heavy basement door shut behind me. Bam! I slammed my middle finger in it. Not a little pinch. Oh no. This was a full-blown ER injury complete with stitches and a thick gauze bandage that looked like a giant marshmallow. Doctor’s orders? Keep the bandaged hand elevated so it can heal properly. But my family was headed for our annual trip to the South Jersey Shore, long before the Jersey Shore reality TV folks claimed it.

One evening, my cousin Doreen and I took a stroll on the bustling boardwalk. There I was, obediently holding up my left hand, when I started hearing giggles. Then snickers. Then full-on laughter. It took me a while, because subtle social cues weren’t my strong suit at age eight, but eventually I realized that my raised oversized bandaged middle finger looked like I was flipping off every sunburned tourist on the boardwalk. Mortified, I raced it back to the cottage and, if memory serves, spent the rest of the vacation hiding, either on the back porch or behind a shrub, but still obediently following doctor’s orders.

Your favorite thing to get from the ice cream truck:

Good Humor Creamsicle, the orange flavor, of course. That creamy orange-and-vanilla combo just says summer.

Some dessert that you wish you’d never bought:

Anything with blueberries. I don’t know why, but I don’t like them. If they sneak their way into a pie, a muffin, or a pancake, I’ll eat around them.

Most favorite place to write/edit in the summer:

My sunroom overlooks the backyard, where birds splash around in the birdbaths. I used to have feeders too, but the squirrels treated them like an Olympic sport, performing acrobatic stunts to get at the food, so those are long gone. But I will say they were a source of entertainment, but also a distraction. So, the feeders are gone, but the sunroom still provides me with just enough nature to enjoy without completely derailing my thoughts.

The worst place to try to write in the summer because of all the distractions:

The beach. While writing my novel, it seemed like a good idea until I spent hours on the phone with my co-author, jotting down notes and brainstorming. Steve lived in another state. Hours passed, and I realized never had the opportunity to enjoy the beach. I was too distracted by the work I was doing. Not a smart idea.

Favorite thing to do on a summer evening:

For this one, I have to go back to childhood summers on the Jersey Shore. Days were for the beach, but nights belonged to the boardwalks, with their endless piers full of rides, games, and cotton candy. And, of course, in my early teenage years, boys. My girlfriends and I would cruise those piers thinking we looked cool, too shy to talk to anyone, but bold enough to pretend we might. I miss the innocence of those nights and the sweetness of that era.

Least favorite thing about summer:

I lived in the Northeast until a few years ago, then traded snow for sunshine and moved to Florida. But summers here comes with its own set of challenges.

1. The humidity makes it almost impossible to breathe and be anywhere other than the beach or in an air-conditioned room during the day.

2. The hurricanes. We had just moved into our home when Sally rolled through. Thankfully, our house was spared, but we lost several trees. It was a small loss compared to what others faced, but it served as a quick lesson in the unpredictability of Florida summers.

The thing you like most about being a writer:

I love creating characters who feel like real people, flawed, funny, and full of potential. As they face challenges, they grow in ways that feel both honest and earned. With my background in psychology, I try to shape their journeys in ways that reflect the lessons we’re all learning, about hope, resilience, and finding strength when we least expect it.

The thing you like least about being a writer:

While writing All the Broken Angels, I had the gift of bringing my family back to life on the page. They’ve all passed on, but while writing, I could hear their voices, sit with them, and talk to them. Finishing the book felt like losing them all over again. I wasn’t prepared for that kind of grief. But they live on in the story, and always will, in the pages, in my heart, and in my soul.

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

Vanilla latte. It’s my coffee addiction. Nothing else could get me out the door at that hour.

Things you never put on your shopping list:

Fish. My husband eats it, but I can’t stand it. My mother couldn’t either. Neither can my son. Coincidence? Maybe. But I’ve always wondered if there’s such a thing as a family allergy to fish.

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

The fact that real people inspire my books throughout different time periods in history.

It’s important for me to honor them and by sharing their stories, I can keep history alive and continue to pass it on to future generations. All the Broken Angels is set during the Vietnam War era. The book is historical fiction, but it’s inspired by my family, a cousin who served in Vietnam, and the veterans I worked with as a clinical psychologist. My children’s book, The Crystal Beads, Lalka’s Journey, is inspired by a hidden child of the Holocaust and honors all those who suffered during a tragic time in our history.

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

My background is in the theater world, where I have worked as an actor, director, and playwright. I then switched careers to psychology. It wasn’t until eight years ago that I started writing again in different genres. I believe I’ve accomplished a lot since then, but I wish I didn’t have such a long pause in between. But truthfully, I bring everything from those years, those experiences, that learning, that heartbreak, and insight into my writing now. Perhaps it wasn’t a true pause. Maybe it was preparation for who I’ve become as an author.

The best summer job I ever had:

Running a summer stock theater company. Producing, selecting plays, marketing, hiring actors, directors, crew—you name it, I did it. The kind of job where the to-do list never ended, but the energy never ran out. It was equal parts chaos and magic, and I loved every minute.

The worst summer job I ever had:

I once performed with a children’s theater company inside a department store. Our roles? Giant clumps of dirt. We were costumed from head to toe in brown globs resembling various types of dirt. I was “Gunk.” The vice president of the Hoover Vacuum Cleaner Company chased around the store. It was a promotion for their company. Not the way to win a Tony Award or an Oscar.

About Patricia:

Pat Black-Gould, PhD, is a clinical psychologist, author, and playwright whose work blends emotional depth, historical insight, and a touch of humor. Her novel All the Broken Angels, co-written with Steve Hardiman, draws from her New Jersey roots and family history to explore resilience, identity, and the impact of war. Her children’s book, The Crystal Beads, Lalka’s Journey, based on a hidden child of the Holocaust, introduces young readers to themes of courage, compassion, and faith.

Both books have received multiple literary awards and continue to resonate with readers of all ages. With a background in theater and psychology, Pat brings a unique lens to storytelling, honoring the quiet strength of everyday people and the power of memory to connect us all.

Let’s Be Social:

Website:    http://www.patblackgould.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/patblackgould/?hl=en

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

LinkedIn:   Pat Black-Gould, Ph.D. | LinkedIn

Amazon.com:  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DD8WD5CT

Amazon UK:  https://bit.ly/4ggv754

#WriterWednesday with Tara Hodgson

I’d like to welcome author Tara Hodgson to the blog for #WriterWednesday!

Hardest thing about being a writer: Finding the time to actually WRITE!

Easiest thing about being a writer: Getting distracted by social media marketing instead of writing.

Things you need for your writing sessions: Background noise - I can’t do silence.

Things that hamper your writing: My phone.

Words that describe you: Introverted, nonjudgmental, and openminded.

Words that describe you, but you wish they didn’t: Finicky, stubborn, and hermit-like.

Favorite foods: Guacamole, fish tacos, and smoothies.

Things that make you want to gag: Mushrooms, olives, and pork.

Something you’re really good at: Taking time for myself.

Something you’re really bad at: Stepping out of my comfort zone.

Favorite music or song: Anything by Dermot Kennedy

Music that drives you crazy: Hard core rock

Favorite smell: Vanilla

Something that makes you hold your nose: Blue cheese

Last best thing you ate: Air fryer salmon on crispy rice

Last thing you regret eating: Tilapia

Things you’d walk a mile for: My mental health. I walk 3-5 km a day

Things that make you want to run screaming from the room: My kids when they aren’t listening.

Things you always put in your books: The potential implications of tech in our lives

Things you never put in your books: Explicit sex scenes (no judgement - it just makes me too uncomfortable to write!)

Favorite places you’ve been: Kona, Hawaii

Places you never want to go to again: Madrid, Spain

Favorite books (or genre): All Kathleen Glasgow and John Green books

Books you wouldn’t buy: Science Fiction - unless someone I trusted really recommended it!

People you’d like to invite to dinner: Taylor Swift

People you’d cancel dinner on: Most of our current political leaders

Favorite things to do: Walk, swim, and camp

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

The nicest thing a reader said to you: “I finished your book in 3 days…only putting it down because I had to.”

The craziest thing a reader said to you: “I hate YA books” HOW can you hate YA books?!

Some real-life story that made it to one of your books: Experiences I’ve witnessed as a teacher. In my debut novel, Chasing Through Time, parts of Emma’s experience are a compilation of real-life situations I’ve seen.

Something in your story that readers think is about you, but it’s not: Sarah’s entire story in Chasing Through Time. Even though she is loosely based on me, her experiences are entirely fictional.

About Tara:

Tara Hodgson has been teaching junior high for the past seventeen years. She spends her days surrounded by teens and has witnessed the changes that technology, especially social media, has had on the teenage experience. She lives on an acreage in Sturgeon County, Alberta with her husband, two children, and a crew of cats and dogs. When she isn't teaching or writing, she is reading. She loves all genres of books, but especially YA Contemporary, Fantasy, and Dystopian. She spends her down time walking, camping, boating, and spending time at home with her family and animals.

Let’s Be Social:

Website: www.tarahodgson.ca

Instagram and Facebook: @tarahodgsonauthor

#WriterWednesday with Mary Lee Ashford

I’d like to welcome my friend, the fabulous Mary Lee Ashford, to the blog for #WriterWednesday!

Hardest thing about being a writer: The actual writing. I so wish it came easier, but it doesn’t.

Easiest thing about being a writer: Story ideas. They are everywhere!

Things you need for your writing sessions: White board, sticky notes, reference books, and my cat.

Things that hamper your writing: Noise, to do lists, my cell phone, and my cat.

Last best thing you ate: A homemade Scotcheroo. So delicious…

Last thing you regret eating: That second Scotcheroo.

Things you always put in your books: Older characters. Just like in real life they have great stories to tell.

Things you never put in your books: Children in jeopardy. Just can’t do it.

Favorite places you’ve been: Scottish Highlands, English Cotswold’s, Hawaii.

Places you never want to go to again: The underground tour in Edinburgh. One and done for me.

The first 8-track, record, cassette, or CD you ever bought:

Carole King’s Tapestry album. To this day I really love singer/songwriters and the genesis of that love was probably that well-played LP.

A type of music that’s not your cup of tea: Rap. I’ve tried. I really have. My kids love it but it just doesn’t speak to me.

Your favorite movie as a child: The Wizard of Oz. Watched it over and over.

A TV show or movie that kept you awake at night as a kid (or as an adult):

The Day the Earth Stood Still. Not scary at all by today’s standards but it totally freaked me out as a kid.

Words that describe you: Caring, upbeat, optimist.

Words that describe you, but you wish they didn’t: Worrier, overthinker, over-analyzer.

The nicest thing a reader said to you: “Your book helped me through a really rough time.”

The craziest thing a reader said to you: “I read your book to my dog and he loved it.”

Something you’re really good at: Listening. People’s stories fascinate me.

Something you’re really bad at: Meeting new people. I know, I know. It’s hard to hear people’s stories if you don’t meet them first, but it’s that first break-the-ice conversation that I’m bad at.

Things you’d walk a mile for: Definitely a bookstore. I’d walk a mile for a bookstore. And if they had coffee there too, I’d probably walk more than a mile.

Things that make you want to run screaming from the room: Math problems and spiders. Equally to be avoided at all costs.

Some real-life story that made it to one of your books: I worked in the public sector for more than thirty years so there are a few of those scattered throughout my books. Of course, names changed to protect the guilty. In fact, look for a UFO reference in Night of the Living Bread.

Something in your story that readers think is about you, but it’s not: The baking. I’m not the baker in the family. My husband is. But I’m a world-class taste tester…

About Mary Lee:

Mary Lee Ashford is a national best-selling author, a lifelong bibliophile, an avid reader, and a supporter of public libraries. In addition to writing the Sugar & Spice series for Oliver Heber Books, she also writes the Pampered Pets mystery series as half of the writing team of Sparkle Abbey.

She is the founding president of Sisters in Crime – Iowa and a former board member of the Mystery Writers of America Midwest chapter, as well as a member of Novelists, Inc., and Sisters in Crime Guppies.

She loves encouraging writers and is a frequent lecturer and workshop presenter for writers’ groups. Mary Lee has a long-time interest in creativity and teaches a university-level course on creative management. She also presents workshops on creativity and on various elements of writing and publishing.

She currently resides in the Midwest with her husband, Tim, and Zoey, her feline coworker. When she’s not writing, her passions are reading, travel, and time with her family, especially her six grandchildren.

Let’s Be Social:

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/maryleeashford1

BookBub – https://www.bookbub.com/profile/mary-lee-ashford

Threads – https://www.threads.net/@authormaryleeashford

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/authormaryleeashford/

Bluesky – https://bsky.app/profile/maryleeashford.bsky.social

Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17806883.Mary_Lee_Ashford

#WriterWednesday with Tricia Copeland

I’d like to welcome Tricia Copeland to the blog for #WriterWednesday.

Favorite thing that you always make time for: running

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

Things you need when you’re in your writing cave: Diet Coke, chocolate

Things that distract you from writing: noise

The thing you like most about being a writer: talking books and characters with readers

The thing you like least about being a writer: editing

Things you will run to the store for in the middle of the night: did I mention chocolate & Diet Coke?

Things you never put on your shopping list: beets, collard greens, coconut

Your best recipe: Adding extra chocolate chips to brownie mixes

Something that didn’t turn out like you planned when you made it: almost every other dish I cook

Things you always put in your books: happily ever after

Things you never put in your books: graphic sex

Things to say to an author: I loved “x” character

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

Most daring thing you’ve ever done: gone snow skiing

Something you chickened out from doing: riding a roller coaster

The best job you ever had: being an author

The worst job you ever had: fast food cashier

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

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

About Tricia:

Tricia Copeland is the critically acclaimed and award-winning author of Kingdom of Embers, To be Fae Queen, Lovelock Ones, and Azreya, Aztec Priestess, and dozens of other titles. She is the host of the Finding the Magic Book Podcast who weaves magical stories about love, courage, and finding your passion.

Tricia Copeland 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. Find all her titles including contemporary romance, now penned under Maria Jane, young adult fantasy, and dystopian fiction at www.triciacopeland.com.

 Let’s Be Social:

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.amazon.com/stores/Tricia-Copeland/author/B00YHN5Q4G

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

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

#WriterWednesday with DonnaRae Menard

I’d like to welcome the fabulous and funny DonnaRae Menard to the blog for #WriterWednesday!

Hardest thing about being a writer: Finding the just right place to market.

Easiest thing about being a writer: Let the story build itself and getting it all down.

Things you need for your writing sessions: coffee, chocolate, cats

Things that hamper your writing: The Three C’s – coffee, chocolate, cats.

Words that describe you: Energetic, Over the top, Willing to share.

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

Something you’re really good at: Talking to people.

Something you’re really bad at: Remembering I should have boundaries.

Last best thing you ate: Sour pickle, pepperoni, and cheese snacks on Ritz.

Last thing you regret eating: The entire container of Chunky Monkey ice cream ten minutes before I went to bed.

Favorite music or song: The Last Kiss, version by J. Frank Wilson and the Cavaliers.

Music that drives you crazy: Anything that is the same 3 lines over and over again.

The last thing you ordered online: Doll grocery cart.

The last thing you regret buying: 3 months’ worth of the GOLO diet.

Things you’d walk a mile for: The heck of it, good music, a chance to be with my friends.

Things that make you want to run screaming from the room: Anything work related that is 45 minutes of 5 minutes’ worth of information.

Things you always put in your books: food, critters, compassion.

Things you never put in your books: Usually real sex. I like the innuendo, the hint that the reader can build in their mind.

Things to say to an author: You can do this. Tell me what you need, let’s see if I have an answer.

Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book: Your idea is trite, your prose repetitive, and your character a joke.

Favorite places you’ve been: Anywhere in the car.

Places you never want to go to again: Up in a four-seater airplane on a sightseeing flight.

Favorite books (or genre): Historical mystery fiction

Books you wouldn’t buy: True crime.

Favorite things to do: Eat, gab, write.

Things you’d run through a fire or eat bugs to get out of doing: Sit through a self-awareness lecture.

Most daring thing you’ve ever done: Played spray paint cow bingo in the middle of the night

Something you chickened out from doing: Facing my dad when I knew I was totally wrong. I blamed it on my brother.

The funniest thing to happen to you: I booked a non-refundable flight for a three-day conference, and spent the time couch surfing at a Marriott.

The most embarrassing thing to happen to you: Having to stand up in front of a woman I didn’t like and apologize for my bad behavior.

The coolest person you’ve ever met: Lyndon Baines Johnson

The celebrity who didn’t look like he/she did in pictures/video: John Travolta.

The nicest thing a reader said to you: When Katie described her bad hallucination, it made me cry.

The craziest thing a reader said to you: Have you ever actually been around pigs?

Besides writing, what’s the most creative thing you’ve done: I’m a stitcher. I see something I like, go home and make a pattern. I’ve made several wedding gowns and somewhere in the process, I always tweak until I’m happy. Oh, and sometimes forget to ask the bride.

A project that didn’t quite turn out the way you planned it: I volunteered to video a wedding and reception. I got a little tipsy, there was a lot of inappropriate footage.

Some real-life story that made it to one of your books: There are many, many real-life incidents in my books. I have a large family and can usually find someone to help.

Something in your story that readers think is about you, but it’s not: In the An It’s Never Too Late Series, Katelyn Took is not me.

My favorite book as a child: Beautiful Joe

A book I’ve read more than once: All of JRR Tolkien.

Your favorite movie as a child: The Taming of the Shrew with Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton

A TV show or movie that kept you awake at night as a kid (or as an adult): The Blob. I slept on the porch roof for months because it was cold out there and the Blob didn’t like the cold.

About DonnaRae:

DonnaRae Menard began writing in junior high school and has been scribbling since. DonnaRae is a hybrid author with both self-published books and working with Level Best Books Publishing, as well as with Of Metal and Magic Publishing. She is the author of Murder in the Meadow, 1970 cozy mystery series, In the Shadow of Pharoah, historical fiction series, The Waif and The Warlord, and the Detective Carmine Mansuer series. New on her list are Beneath the Fountain, Dropped from the Sky, Murder on the Small Farm, The Morality Issue, and Snuffling Up Bones, Book 1, in The Pig & I Series. She splits her time between Vermont and New Hampshire, has an affinity for odd jobs, rescued cats, and talking about her 450-pound lap pig. Check out her website donnaraemenardbooks.com. Find her on facebook and Blue Sky. Follow QR code to webpage.

Let’s Be Social:

BlueSky: drmenardbooks.blsky.social

Website: donnaraemenardbooks.com

Facebook: DonnaRae Menard

#WriterWednesday with Joel Turner

I’d like to welcome author Joel Turner to the blog for #WriterWednesday!

Hardest thing about being a writer: Blank page

Easiest thing about being a writer: Editing

Things you need for your writing sessions: Quiet (negotiable), coffee (non-negotiable)

Things that hamper your writing: Laziness

Words that describe you: Affable, easy-going, obsessive about some things

Words that describe you, but you wish they didn’t: Know-it-all

Something you’re really good at: Saying what basketball announcers say before they say it

Something you’re really bad at: Handwriting

Last best thing you ate: Tomato pie

Last thing you regret eating: A hamburger

Favorite music or song: R&B, “Mind over Matter” by Nolan Strong and the Diablos

Music that drives you crazy: “Sweet Caroline,” Neil Diamond in general

The last thing you ordered online: WILDWOOD EXIT bookmarks

The last thing you regret buying: Roomba

Things you’d walk a mile for: Ultimate Italian Hoagie from Carlino’s; a mint-condition 45 of “Village of Love” by Nathaniel Mayer and the Fabulous Twilights on the Fortune Label.

Things that make you want to run screaming from the room: “Watching Scotty Grow” by Bobby Goldsboro

Things to say to an author: I bought your book

Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book: I’ve always wanted to write a book but don’t have the time.

Favorite places you’ve been: Ravello, Islay, Barbados

Places you never want to go to again: Disneyworld

Favorite books (or genre): Gravity’s Rainbow by Thomas Pynchon, At Swim-Two-Birds by Flann O’Brien, How late it was, how late by James Kelman, High Rise by J. G. Ballard, God’s Pocket by Pete Dexter

Books you wouldn’t buy: Romance, Romantasy

Favorite things to do: Play golf, listen to R&B, dinner out with my wife

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

Most daring thing you’ve ever done: Getting an MBA

Something you chickened out from doing: Getting an MFA

The funniest thing to happen to you: Being exorcised by a Catholic priest in preparation for becoming a god-parent.

The most embarrassing thing to happen to you: Calling my god-daughter by her sister’s name

The coolest person you’ve ever met: Dave Davies of The Kinks

The celebrity who didn’t look like he/she did in pictures/video: World B. Free – he’d put on a few pounds since his playing days.

Besides writing, what’s the most creative thing you’ve done: Explaining to a roomful of bankers in Milan how bad their credit metrics were.

A project that didn’t quite turn out the way you planned it: Spending the summer of my sophomore year in college in Berkeley, CA, with promise of a job that fell apart when I got there. I ended up working in the Del Monte cannery under an assumed name.

Some real-life story that made it to one of your books: A friend crashing a car and walking away from it, because the title had not been transferred to him.

Something in your story that readers think is about you, but it’s not: Having a girlfriend from Quebec

The first 8-track, record, cassette, or CD you ever bought: The Yardbirds Greatest Hits

A type of music that’s not your cup of tea: Modern Country

My favorite book as a child: A Pass and a Prayer by Claire Bee

A book I’ve read more than once: Exterminator! By William S. Burroughs

Your favorite movie as a child: The Beast from the 20000 Fathoms

A TV show or movie that kept you awake at night as a kid (or as an adult): Vertigo

About Joel:

Joel E. Turner has combined his writing work with a career as a consultant in business analytics to banks in the US and Europe. His fiction has appeared in many US and UK journals. He also writes about Soul Music, film, and books at joeleturnerauthor.com. His new novel, WILDWOOD EXIT, a Jersey Shore noir tale, draws on his extensive work experience at some of the finer dining establishments at the Jersey Shore. He knows how to operate a Frialator.

Mr. Turner splits his time between Philadelphia and White Cloud, Michigan.

Let’s Be Social:

Website: http://joeleturnerauthor.com

Twitter: @JoelETurner1

Bluesky: @joeleturner.bsky.social

Instagram: @bzturner

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joeleturner2