#ThisorThatThursday Author Interview with Zachary Hagen

I’d like to welcome author, Zachary Hagen to the blog today for #ThisorThatThursday!

Things you need for your writing sessions: My computer and a good playlist.

Things that hamper your writing: I love her, but my wife. She can be very distracting because she loves to talk while I’m concentrating on my books sometimes.

Things you love about writing: I love the freedoms to create and discover new things or put fresh takes on old ones.

Things you hate about writing: I hate that it’s not faster. I want to find out more about my world and characters as much as my readers do, but I’m only human and have to go at a human pace when I write my books.

Hardest thing about being a writer: Hearing what other people want you to do in your books or hearing fan theories because some really work and others would throw the story off a cliff.

Easiest thing about being a writer: Solitude in the moment of creation. When a stroke of inspiration hits me, it’s like I’m alone in the world.

Things you never want to run out of: After COVID, I never want to face a day without toilet paper.

Things you wish you’d never bought: I had a Kinect for Xbox 360 when I was younger. It was the most frustrating thing to use.

Words that describe you: Brave, kind, tenacious.

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

Favorite smell: The sea breeze.

Something that makes you hold your nose: The fish section in Asian markets.

Something you’re really good at: I am a really great singer.

Something you’re really bad at: Sports. I have not found one I have any natural talent in.

Something you like to do: I’d love to go on a Mediterranean or Alaskan cruise.

Something you wish you’d never done: I wish I’d never taken jobs just to be employed.

Last best thing you ate: I just got back from a Disney cruise. There was a fantastic red snapper in one of the onboard restaurants, and I would go on another cruise just to eat it again.

Last thing you regret eating: Chicken wings from Dominoes. Blech!

Things you’d walk a mile for: a great experience with friends and/or family.

Things that make you want to run screaming from the room: Bad singing and bad food.

Things you always put in your books: Distinct acts for structure.

Things you never put in your books: Diverse characters that I can’t faithfully and fairly represent. If I include them, they are researched so that I don’t offend or hurt anyone carelessly.

Favorite places you’ve been: Cozumel and Tuscany

Places you never want to go to again: There’s a little resort outside Manila in the Philippines that has no hot water. I’m never going back there.

The nicest thing a reader said to you: I had a reader tell me that they are anxious to read the next book because they loved the characters so much.

The craziest thing a reader said to you: One reviewer said they’d rather read “something more fulfilling, like the Hunger Games.” I don’t even understand how you compare the two genres?

About Zachary:

Zachary Hagen is an Albuquerque based author and teacher. Writing has always been a passion for him since he was little kid when he put together little books from scrap paper. The earliest story he remembers writing was about a dragon who gave flowers to children. He also teaches creative writing to his students and loves to see their talents flourish. When he isn’t working hard at his two passions, he enjoys spending time with his wife and dog and making music any way he can. 

 Let’s Be Social:

TikTok- https://vm.tiktok.com/TTPdjYKbf5/

Facebook- Zachary Hagen Writes

Website- zacharyhagenwrites.com

#WriterWednesday Interview with Meredith Stoddard

I’d like to welcome author, Meredith Stoddard to the blog for the holiday edition of #WriterWednesday!

A few of your favorite traditions: Until the last couple of years we have always spent Christmas at my grandmother’s house in North Carolina. We have a lot of traditions associated with it; church on Christmas Eve, followed by visiting with extended family, walking around the block to the neighbor’s light show.

Something holiday-related that you’ll never do again: Santa hats. For the last few years we have taken a picture of the extended family in front of the family home wearing ridiculous Santa hats. I think we would all like to give up that tradition, but Granny loves them.

Favorite holiday song: “Angels We Have Heard on High”. I just love singing it.

Holiday song that always gets stuck in your head for the wrong reason: “Mary Did You Know?” It gets stuck because it’s so repetitive. But for years the minister and my family’s church in North Carolina used to grace us with his comically bad solo rendition of it EVERY Christmas Eve. I have terrible memories of that.

Favorite holiday treat: Coconut pie. It’s not exactly a holiday treat, but we always had one at the holidays, so it's a holiday treat for us.

A holiday treat that makes you gag: Does anyone really consider fruit cake a treat?

Favorite holiday show or movie: Any Hallmark Christmas romance. I’m a sucker for them. I watch them while wrapping presents, and endure constant teasing from my family but I don’t care. I’ll never give them up.

A holiday show or movie that you’ve seen too much: A Christmas Story. It’s great. It’s a classic. I’m just over it.

Favorite holiday beverage: Hot Chocolate, spiced cider, mulled wine...Bonus if the hot chocolate and cider have whiskey in them.

A drink that gives you a sour face: Egg Nog, not even whiskey can save that holiday sludge.

Favorite holiday smell: All the earthy ones like evergreens, spices, poinsettias, and wood smoke.

Something that makes you hold your nose: Collard greens. I love eating them, but can’t stand the smell of cooking them.

Favorite holiday candy: Anything chocolate

A holiday candy that gives you a pickle face: Nougat, not a fan.

Best holiday gift you gave to someone: A few years ago, I gathered up old family photos from my grandmother’s house. I organized them by decade going back to a baby picture of my grandmother from 1918. I also scanned them so we would have them electronically. Then I decorated a wooden chest and filled it with the newly organized photos and gave it back to my grandmother for Christmas. It took a lot of time to sort and identify everyone in the photos, but it was well worth it.

A gift that needs regifting: Sweaters, Not just the ugly Christmas ones. I’m just not a sweater person.

Best thing you ever cooked/baked for the holidays: Peppermint meringues. I love making meringues in all flavors, but the peppermint ones just say holidays.

Your worst holiday kitchen disaster: Not sure if it counts as a kitchen disaster so much as a dinner table disaster. One Thanksgiving, just as we were putting the last of the meal on the table, the globe from their light fixture fell and shattered, spraying glass all over the food.

Favorite place you spent the holidays: Until last year, I have only ever spent Christmas at my grandmother’s house. That was an understanding when I married my husband that we would not miss Christmas at Granny’s.

The worst place to spend the holidays: Christmas 2020 was spent at home. And while it was a much more relaxing than trying to coordinate schedules with all the extended family, I missed hugging them and spending time with them.

About Meredith:

I have known since I was a little girl sitting at my Granny's kitchen table listening to her recount the stories of our family, that I wanted to be a story teller. Those family stories sparked a lifelong fascination with folklore. After a career of telling product stories in the corporate world, I have turned my attention back to the stories of people and culture.

Let’s Be Social:

Website: http://www.meredithstoddard.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063837990684&show_switched_toast=true

Twitter: https://twitter.com/M_R_Stoddard

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

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/meredith-stoddard

What is Your Writing Kryptonite?

What keeps you from your writing? What is your biggest distraction?

Mine is probably the internet. I tell myself that I’m only going to look up one thing, and then the next thing I know, I’m looking at dog videos, cute alpaca memes, and recipes that I’ll never make. It is often easy to get distracted from your writing or revising tasks. Here are some things that help me stay focused.

• When I feel tired or restless, I get up and walk around for 5-10 minutes. There are lots of desk exercises that you can do to get the blood flowing back to your brain. During the plague, I bought a desk bike to pedal while I’m sitting. It helps to get the endorphins going again.

• Resist the urge to research everything while you are writing. Mark it and come back to it later, so you don’t break your momentum. The great Brad Parks calls this “killing his X’s.” When he gets to a spot that needs some research, he types, “XXX” and moves on. When he’s in editing mode, he goes through his document, searches for the “X’s,” and fills in the missing information.

• Try to keep to a writing schedule. Routines help you be consistent. Even if it’s only 30 minutes a day, you know that that is your writing time.

• Treat your writing like a business. There are things that you have to do to keep your business thriving. If it is always the last thing on your list, it will never get done.

• Schedule your writing time. You schedule other important events. Make sure you book time to create.

• When you are in writing mode, don’t edit. Just keep writing. You can revise the whole thing when you have a draft.

• I do an outline for each novel (that I use for the synopsis later). This helps me from getting bogged down or off track in the middle of the book.

• Figure out what daily word count works for you. If I finish early, then I go do something fun. You will see progress quickly with daily goals.

• Reward yourself for victories, even little ones.

What helps you stay focused? Happy writing, y’all!

#ThisorThatThursday Interview with Jennifer Lieberman

I’d like to welcome the talented Jennifer Lieberman to the blog for #ThisorThatThursday!

A few of your favorite things: Some of my favourite things are Elton John, Tennessee Williams plays, my scrapbook of photos and programs from all my theatre productions.

Things you need to throw out: I need to toss some Old Concert T Shirts, Old Lip Gloss

Things you need for your writing sessions: My essentials for writing are as follows: A Pen, A Notebook, A Laptop, Sunshine

Things that hamper your writing: The two major things I don’t like to deal with when writing are Clutter, Darkness or a dark space.

Things you love about writing: I love writing about Relationships, Romance, Comedy

Things you hate about writing: Politics and Horror are not my thing.

Hardest thing about being a writer: The hardest thing about being a writer sometimes ins keeping all with all the ideas.

Easiest thing about being a writer: The easiest thing about being a writer is all the ideas!

Things you never want to run out of: I would be so pleased with an unlimited supply of Coconut Water, Family Time, Pomegranates and Lip Gloss.

Things you wish you’d never bought: Purchase regrets are The Facia Blaster, the regret over this purchase overshadows the memory of any other previous regret.

Words that describe you: I’m totally wacky, mildly cooky, sometimes aggressive, always upfront.

Words that describe you, but you wish they didn’t: Responsible, ugh…

Favorite foods: Anything my Tunisian grandmother made was my favourite from couscous, to stews to sweets, I’m also a pastry snob since I grew up in my family bakery.

Things that make you want to gag: Animals, as I’ve explained to my niece and nephew, I don’t eat my friends.

Favorite music or song: Rock ’n Roll! I’m a total rocker chick and love live shows. I’d say Arctic Monkeys “I Bet You’d Look Good On The Dance Floor” is one of my fav songs, but that’s like an impossible question.

Music that drives you crazy: Most pop music isn’t my thing, I’m stuck between the 1970s-1990’s where music is concerned.

Something you’re really good at: I’m really good at being in charge, delegating and leading a team.

Something you’re really bad at: I’m a terrible singer, like absolutely awful.

The last thing you ordered online: The last thing I ordered online was my friend Paul Bahou’s book “Sunset Distortion: The Pyramid at the End of the World.”

The last thing you regret buying: The last purchase I regret was buying a compact mirror, I found the one I thought I lost so I returned the new one.

Things you’d walk a mile for: I’d walk quite far for a really good Vegan cappuccino.

Things that make you want to run screaming from the room: Cats, I’m super allergic to cats.

About Jennifer:

Jennifer Lieberman is from Maple, Ontario, Canada and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from York University in Toronto. Jennifer has appeared in over thirty stage productions in Toronto, New York City, Los Angeles, Europe and Australia; including her Award- Winning Solo Show "Year of the Slut", which her novel “Year Of The What?" was adapted from. In addition to her performance career, she has penned a number of screen and stage plays including the wacky web-series "Dumpwater Divas" and the short films “Leash" and “Details" which both screened at the Festival De Cannes’ Court Métrage among other international film festivals. "Year of the What?" is Lieberman’s first novel and is a #1 Amazon Best Seller.  Other books by Jennifer include “Make Your Own Break: How To Master Your Virtual Meeting in Seven Simple Steps” and “Make Your Own Break: How To Record & Publish Your Audiobook In Seven Simple Steps.”

Let’s Be Social:

WEBSITE: www.JenniferLiebermanActor.com 

BOOK: www.YearOfTheWhat.com 

www.facebook.com/iamjenlieberman

www.instagram.com/iamjenlieberman

www.twitter.com/iamjenlieberman 

Find the Writing Routine That Works for You

It’s NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month), the time when authors commit to writing each day with the goal of completing a good chunk of their novel by the end of the month. Anyone participating this year?

I think daily writing goals are good. For a long time, I resisted. There was too much going on in my life to commit to being able to write every day. (And it took almost five years to finish my first novel.) I have picked up speed over the years, and that includes daily writing.

You need to find the routine that works for you and your schedule. This one is mine. I still have a day gig that starts at 7:30 AM, so I get up and write at 5:00 AM. I have always been a morning person, and I usually stick to my routine on weekends. I write during my lunch, and if I didn’t hit my word count for the day, then I come back after dinner to finish. On days that I work, my goal is 1,000 words. On weekends and days off, my goal is 3,000 words. I can usually finish a cozy mystery draft in about two to two and a half months. I have my major research completed and a pretty good outline of the mystery before I start. When I’m not writing a book, I use the time to network, market my current books, and update my social media platforms.

Here’s what I learned about having a routine:

• Do your best to keep to your schedule. Figure out how much time you have and be realistic about your plans.

• If you miss a day or so, don’t beat yourself up. Life happens. Try to get back on track. The longer you are away from your WIP (work in progress), the harder it is to find where you left off.

• Just write when you are in first draft mode. Make notes of things you need to research later. Don’t go back and edit or revise. Just write.

• If you’re finding it hard to carve out time, look at your daily schedule. Where can you find 30-60 minutes each day? What can you exchange for some writing time?

• When we worked from home during the pandemic and lockdown, I committed my commuting time to writing. I was way more prolific than I’ve ever been. To me, it proved that daily writing time works.

• Celebrate your victories. I keep a little sheet of paper with my daily word totals. You’ll be surprised how quickly it adds up.

Let me know what works for you. Happy Writing!

#ThisorThatThursday Author Interview with Nicole Fanning

I’d like to welcome author Nicole Fanning to the blog for #ThisorThatThursday!

A few of your favorite things: Benji, Rocky and Loki-my fur children!

Things you need to throw out: Sentimental clothing that I will never wear again, and nearly every old phone I have every owned.

Hardest thing about being a writer: Knowing exactly what is going to happen, but not being able to share it with anxious readers because you don’t want to spoil the story!

Easiest thing about being a writer: Knowing exactly what is going to happen!

Favorite foods: Pizza, Ice Cream

Things that make you want to gag: Wasabi, Pickled Herring, Brussel Sprouts

Favorite music or song: Everything but twangy country

Music that drives you crazy: Twangy Country

Favorite beverage: TEA
Something that gives you a sour face: Sports Drinks

Favorite smell: Apple Cinnamon
Something that makes you hold your nose: Fish

Something you’re really good at: Overthinking
Something you’re really bad at: Relaxing

Something you wish you could do: Wrap Presents

Something you wish you’d never learned to do: Sailing

The last thing you ordered online: My new Ducky Keyboard

The last thing you regret buying: A five-pound bag of flaxseed. Oops.

Things you’d walk a mile for: Any canine I could cuddle.

Things that make you want to run screaming from the room: Spiders

Things you always put in your books: Easter eggs. ;)
Things you never put in your books: Pet deaths.

Best thing you’ve ever done: Marrying my husband.
Biggest mistake: Dying my hair platinum blonde. “That was a lot of damage.”

About Nicole:

Nicole Fanning is a smitten wife and super proud dog mom to three rambunctious rescue dogs.

She’s an old school romantic and documentary enthusiast, with a proclivity for a little mischief. She also has small obsession with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and obscure boardgames.

Her debut novel, Catalyst, is the first incendiary installment of the Heart of the Inferno Series which follows the romantic entanglement of deadly billionaire mafia don, Jaxon Pace, and his unexpected paramour, Natalie Tyler.

 Let’s Be Social:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nicole.fanning.1

Instagram: AuthorNicoleFanning

Twitter: AuthorNicoleFanning

Website: nherownwords.com

Some Characters You May Want to Avoid

Writing is a business, and authors need to treat their writing life that way. You want to be known as you build your platform and your readership, but you don’t want to be remembered for the wrong traits. Here are some characters you may not want associated with for your brand.

This is the character who always has to be THE center of attention. He or she has complaints or snarky feedback about everything. Nothing meets his or her expectations or is ever up to snuff. He or she has to be in all the pictures, invited to everything, and have top billing. He or she should have the best seat at the the head table and given all the starring roles.

The Bore is the character who makes every conversation or email about him or herself. He or she takes full advantage of any audience and holds them captive with long recitations about themselves, their books, and their lives. He or she will hog the the mic and the spotlight at every opportunity. He or she always tops whatever anyone mentions, and his/her experiences are always better than whatever anyone else on the planet has ever done.

This character is a terror. He or she reacts in the moment, often without much thought, and demands to be heard all the time. He or she is loud, forceful, and burns bridges wherever he or she goes without regard to others’ feelings. People run and hide or give in to make this person go away.

The Leech looks for every opportunity to steer any conversation to him or herself. This is the person who comments on your promotional posts and adds a link to his/her book. He or she jumps on every bandwagon and pushes his/her way to center stage (even if he or she is not involved).

The goal is to get your name out there and to promote your books. But you also want to be known as the author who is easy to work with.

#ThisorThatThursday Author Interview with Sasscer Hill

I’d like to welcome Sasscer Hill to the blog this week for #ThisorThatThursday!

A few of your favorite things: Horses, dogs, cats, and people with a sense of humor.

Things you need to throw out: Clothes I haven’t worn for at least three years but am foolishly reluctant to throw away.

Things you need for your writing sessions: Quiet and no interruptions.

Things that hamper your writing: My cat sitting on my keyboard.

Hardest thing about being a writer: Writing the first chapter of a new book.

Easiest thing about being a writer: Writing the exciting conclusion. It lights me up!

Words that describe you: A lover of fine bourbon, clothes and colors like purple, lavender, teal, blue, turquoise, black, red, and gold. Intelligent, animal lover, thankful for the things I have.

Words that describe you, but you wish they didn’t: Not knowing when to keep my mouth shut.

Favorite foods: Steak, roast lamb, spinach, fresh fruit like pineapple. Dark chocolate.

Things that make you want to gag: Escargot, raw oysters, and Sushi.

Favorite beverage: Fine Bourbon

Something that gives you a sour face: Cheap bourbon

Things you always put in your books: Chasing the dream, fighting the odds, and helping the helpless.

Things you never put in your books: Serial killers. I find serial killer novels boring. The killer is always very smart, very arrogant, always wants to antagonize the cop who is on their trail and is usually a white male around thirty years old. The emphasis and description of how they kill and terrorize their victims is something I prefer not to read.

Things to say to an author: Keep going. Truly loved your last book! Your characters speak to me.

Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book: Your dialog is stilted and doesn’t carry the plot forward.

Favorite books (or genre): Mystery-thrillers

Books you wouldn’t buy: Serial killer novels

Things that make you happy: Meeting with friends, walking my dog, finishing a chapter I wrote that I believe is a winner.

Things that drive you crazy: People who hold forth with great authority on a subject when they have no idea what they are talking about.

Best thing you’ve ever done: Ride and win a two-mile steeplechase race over four-foot solid board fences

Biggest mistake: Selling my two-year-old racehorse in training for $22,000 who won his new owners $418,000 in purse money.