#ThisorThatThursday Author Interview with Paul Bahou

I’d like to welcome author, Paul Bahou, to the blog for #ThisorThatThursday!

Things you need for your writing sessions:

I write and edit my books on my computer, but I write my short stories on my phone. All I need is one or the other and some quiet so I can focus.

Things that hamper your writing:

TV, other people, anything that takes me out of the zone.

Things you love about writing:

Writing clears the cobwebs of the mind. You get so much mental clutter and junk over the course of the day, especially for someone like me who has a short attention span. It’s almost like meditation in a way; forcing my brain to hone in on a single train of thought for an extended period of time.

There’s also this creative itch that I have to scratch, or I go batty. I used to satisfy it by playing and writing music. Since I’ve had kids that’s been pretty difficult, so writing stories has been a very satisfying way of engaging with that call to create.

Things you hate about writing:

That I don’t get to do more of it. I have a list of story summaries on my phone that I work on when I get the time. I’m currently working on a series of short stories to release as a collection. I’m usually working on two different stories at any given time, one that’s being written on my phone and one that’s being edited on my computer.

Easiest thing about being a writer:

Writing the first sentence.

Hardest thing about being a writer:

Writing everything that comes after that.

Favorite music or song:

My favorite band in the world is Tool. Their music just hits me in a way that nobody else’s does. It’s heavy, it’s melodic, it’s lyrically dense and damn if they don’t sound absolutely flawless live. Their album Lateralus changed the way I look at music.

My second favorite is Carly Rae Jepson. She writes the musical equivalent of warm hugs you can dance to. I love her music. I know it’s the furthest thing from progressive metal, but aren’t we all full of contradictions in some way?

Music that drives you crazy:

100 Gecs is the group that made me realize I was old. And I’m not even old. I just can’t do whatever that is. My brain just isn’t wired for it.

Favorite beverage:

Coffee.

Something that gives you a sour face:

Anything with too much sugar in it.

Favorite smell:

Your kid when they’re a newborn and you smell their head. No greater high my friend. Fellow parents, you know what I’m talking about.

Something that makes you hold your nose:

Meat. I don’t think I’ve eaten a cheeseburger since George W. Bush was president.

Last best thing you ate:

The tacos my wife made for dinner last night. The woman is Mozart in the kitchen.

Last thing you regret eating:

That fourth taco. Oof.

Favorite places you’ve been:

I love Coachella. There’s magic in those polo fields. I really love music festivals in general. I’ve got a pretty wide palate when it comes to music, so I appreciate being to check out different types of artists in a fun, vibrant setting.

Places you never want to go to again:

I’ll go anywhere as long as I’ve got my wife with me. It’s less about the place and more about the company. I think that’s the trick to living a good life in general.

Favorite books (or genre):

I love authors like Kurt Vonnegut or Chuck Palahniuk. People who tell stories out of left field that defy typical plot line conventions.

Books you wouldn’t buy:

Anything written by someone with an opinion show on a cable news channel.

Favorite things to do:

Write music. Write stories. Talk about music. Talk about stories. Watch music. Watch stories. My novel Sunset Distortion is a story that heavily involves music. I’d say I found a way to mix my two favorite things.

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

I’d say running through a fire and eating bugs are two things I’d like to avoid if possible.

Things that make you happy:

My children

Things that drive you crazy:

My children

The coolest person you’ve ever met:

My wife.

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

I once saw Justin Timberlake when I was coming out of the bathroom at the Laugh Factory in Hollywood. My friends and I were in college and seeing Dane Cook. We were all hammered. And not just hammered, but like, irresponsible college level wasted. Justin was in line waiting for me to come out. He was taller than I imagined. Though then again, I was pretty inebriated, it’s very possible I was slouching like some sort of confused hunchback who stumbled into the light after years in the belfry. I wanted to say hi, but I think I just grumbled incoherently at the poor guy.

About Paul:

Paul Bahou is the author of Sunset Distortion: The Pyramid at the End of the World. He holds a B.A. in Political Science from Cal State University Long Beach with a minor in Music. He began his career writing grants while playing in his rock band, eventually moving out of music and into the sustainability sector. He lives in Southern California with his wife Melissa, daughter Sophie and son Harrison. He writes fiction and the occasional dad joke in his spare time.

Let’s Be Social:

Website

facebook.com/paulbahouwrites

Discussion Questions for Your Books

Book clubs, whether in-person or virtual, are great ways for authors to reach readers. It’s a good idea to provide discussion questions on your website. Many authors and publishers also include them at the back of the book. Here are some ideas that can help as you think about your book from a reader’s perspective.

• It’s good to provide readers with 6-10 discussion questions about your book and its characters.

• Try to avoid spoilers as you craft your discussion points.

• These are to spur discussion and thought, so avoid ones that can be answered with a yes, no, or quick fact.

• Look for themes in your book that you can highlight for readers.

• Make a list of pop culture and other references in your book. These can be incorporated into discussion items.

• Google '“book club questions.” There are lots of sites with generic questions that you can sprinkle in your list.

• If you have different books in the series, make sure that your questions vary and aren’t the same for each book.

• Create a page on your website for book clubs with the discussion questions.

• Think like an English teacher as you compose your questions. Look for items to compare, contrast, or explain.

#ThisorThatThursday Interview with Robert P. French

I’d like to welcome author, Robert P. French to the blog today for #ThisorThatThursday!

Things you need for your writing sessions: My laptop of course but more importantly the tools I use on it. I use SimpleMind to keep track of all the story ideas and the general flow of the book. I also have developed a spreadsheet that tracks each chapter and scene. It shows the date, time and location for each scene and all the characters who appear or are referenced in the scene and who is the point-of-view character. Other essentials are a thermos of good coffee and my writing playlist which is seven and a half hours of classical music.

Things that hamper your writing: Getting started. But once I start writing, I’m in the zone and nothing gets to me until I run out of steam.

Things you love about writing: The feeling I get as a new book starts to take shape and ideas pop into my head. I don’t plan my books in detail and let the writing and the characters take the book where it needs to go. This approach brings some wonderful surprises and plot twists. In my first book, Junkie, I didn’t know who the killer was until I was about seventy percent into the book. I also love the joy of expressing something in a really interesting way; sometimes, I will chew over a single sentence until I get it just right. But by far the best things are the emails and reviews I get from my readers after the release of a new book.

Things you hate about writing: Three things: getting stuck, getting stuck and getting stuck.

Hardest thing about being a writer: The constant worry that the book you are currently writing is not going to be as good as the previous ones.

Easiest thing about being a writer: People often ask me, ‘Where do you get your plot ideas?’ Getting plot ideas is the easiest part of writing. They pop into my head all the time. The trick is to spot that some random thought which has appeared, unbidden, in your consciousness is a potential plot line. Just make sure you write it down because it can pop out of your head just as easily as it popped in.

Words that describe you: Friendly, cheerful, humorous, logical, fair and not quite as intelligent as I like to think I am.

Words that describe you, but you wish they didn’t: Stubborn and sometimes dogmatic.

Favourite beverage: I love craft beer. When I first emigrated to Canada, I really missed the beer of my native England. When the craft beer revolution started I was an instant fan. I am lucky enough to now live within a seven-minute walk of seven excellent craft breweries.

Something that gives you a sour face: Any drink with a cherry flavour. I love to eat cherries, they are one of my favourite fruits, but somehow, the taste of the fruit in a drink gets morphed into something I gag on.

Things you always put in your books: Unexpected twists and turns in the plot and in the lives of the characters.

Things you never put in your books: Long descriptions of a character’s physical characteristics. As a reader, I like to create the characters in my mind the way I want to see them, so I give my readers the same choice.

Things to say to an author: “Why do you write?” “How can I become a writer?” Where do you get your inspiration for plots and characters?” and of course, “Where can I buy your books?”

Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book: “I’ve never read any of your books because I only read literary fiction.”

Favourite places you’ve been: New York, New Orleans, San Francisco, Hong Kong, London as it was in my youth.

Places you never want to go to again: Prison… just joking. Hong Kong as it descends into becoming an oppressed city.

Favourite books (or genre): I enjoy crime fiction (I am a huge Michael Connelly fan) and sci-fi (my favourite sci-fi book is still Asimov’s Foundation trilogy). My favourite author of all time is John Steinbeck. Although I am not a huge fan of fantasy, I have read Lord of the Rings twelve times over the years.

Books you wouldn’t buy: Books where the protagonist is perfect. Paranormal fiction.

People you’d like to invite to dinner (living): Philosopher and neuroscientist Sam Harris, physicist Bryan Cox, astrophysicist, Neil Degrasse Tyson, actors Anthony Hopkins and Olivia Coleman, author Michael Connelly.

People you’d cancel dinner on: Anyone who is famous for being famous, for example a Kardashian or a Jenner or any reality TV personality.

The nicest thing a reader said to you: “Getting lost in your book gave me a wonderful respite from the worries of being a caregiver for my sick father.”

The craziest thing a reader said to you: Confusing me with my protagonist, Cal Rogan, one reader asked. “Have you stopped using the heroin now?”

About Robert:

Robert French is a software developer, turned actor, turned author. He is the writer of the seven (so far) Cal Rogan Mysteries crime-thrillers about a drug-addicted ex-cop who fights his way from living rough on the streets to being a much-sought-after PI. The series, set in Vancouver, Canada, reflects the best and worst of the city. He is passionate about having the right words on the page and with every new book, his goal is to make it better than the previous one. His loves are his family, science, language, certain elements of philosophy and craft beer.

Let’s Be Social:

Website

Facebook

Make a List to Help You Market Your Book

As you start to market your book, it’s a good idea to have ideas for blogs, podcasts, interviews, and author talks. Here are some things that have worked for me through the years.

• For every new book, make a list of the themes and references in the story. You will find things that interest readers outside of your genre. Highlight these in your book promotions. For my Jules Keene Glamping Mysteries, my list includes: vintage trailers, tiny houses, the Blue Ridge Mountains, glamping, cybersecurity, bluetooth devices, and Jack Russell Terriers. These are subjects that you can use as you promote your book.

• Look for online and local groups that share these interests and approach them about doing a guest post or a talk.

• Also make a list of your interests and areas where you have expertise. These can be used for blogs, workshop topics, and marketing ideas. It is much easier to pitch a workshop topic if you have expertise to share.

• When I create handouts and slide shows for classes that I teach, I always make sure that they are branded with my website and include my contact information.

• Libraries and other groups are always looking for speakers for programs. I keep a list of topics for readers, mystery lovers, and writers. I have a synopsis of each in a file that I can pitch to possible event sponsors.

• Look for other groups in your area that offer classes. There are many active senior communities, clubs, and learning centers that look for guest speakers. Many of these also have book clubs that host meet-the-author events.

• When you do guest blogs, many times, it will be up to you to come up with the topic. You’ll have more success if it’s entertaining or informative instead of 800 words about “buy my book.” The idea is to introduce yourself and your writing to a new group of readers. You want your headline and post to catch the reader’s attention.

• When you do interviews, podcasts, and author panels, make sure your anecdotes are fresh. Don’t tell the same story at every event or interview.

#ThisorThatThursday Author Interview with VK Tritschler

I’d like to welcome author, VK Tritschler, to the blog for this edition of #ThisorThatThursday.

A few of your favorite things:

I have an old moose-hide jacket from my Uncle which is one of my favorite things. He gave it to me many years ago, and I have traipsed it with me around the world. I love the delicate beading work, and the softness of the leather. But also, I love that this is a jacket that had stories. It’s so old I can almost feel them woven into the fabric. The other thing I have that I love is my little shelf of old books I have collected. These are mostly well-known collectables like Dickens and Austen, but I do have a couple random poetry collections. I got a special shelf just for them.

Things you need to throw out:

Most of my clothes! I am not a person who invests a lot of time on appearance, because I don’t see value in the exterior of anything outside of my book covers, but I do like comfortable easy to wear things which I then use to the point of no return.

Things you need for your writing sessions:

I don’t have anything specific that I need for a writing session except for my laptop. I have written in cafes, on beaches, in the car and at home. I don’t have any must-have requirements as I am fortunate to have a brain that can expel thoughts without prompting.

Things that hamper your writing:

A busy environment can be both a blessing and a hamper. On one side a busy coffee shop gives me amazing ideas and thoughts for characters and personality traits, but on the other side it can be distracting and drag away from the plotline taking the story on a whole new tangent. But the worst hamper for me is time! Ah, for that blessed moment that I can grab from an otherwise hectic schedule. That is what I dream of.

Things you love about writing:

Writing is for me what watching movies or listening to music is for others. It allows my mind to wander to places outside of the daily grind and gives me a chance to explore the potential that the world around me presents. I am never bored when I am writing, which is a wonderful feeling.

Things you hate about writing:

I hate that it can feel competitive and that it makes me doubt my own abilities. I can read or hear another author’s story and think to myself, gosh, that was wonderful I wish I could write like that. But I think all authors feel that way. In all of us there is an expectation of being better or doing better. I think that in itself is what drives us forward and makes us work at our craft.

Things you never want to run out of:

Coffee and imagination. I cannot imagine a world without either, and I hope I never have to experience that.

Things you wish you’d never bought:

I wish I had never brought a Smart watch because a) it constantly reminds me of things that I put into my diary but was deliberately trying to forget was coming up (i.e. major deadlines) and b) it’s always telling me to breath or move, both of which I think I do plenty of since I am actually still alive. Still, despite being the most item I have ever worn, it does keep me on track. Ugh.

Something you wish you could do:

Travel. I mean I know technically you can now, but who has the extra energy or time for all the subsidiary nonsense? I yearn for a day when you can buy a ticket that morning, jump on a plane that afternoon, and wake up in a foreign country without a single quarantine rule. Ah, the blissful memories.

Something you wish you’d never learned to do:

Be good at everything I do at my full-time job. Sometimes I wish I was a little less good, and a little more hopeless, because I feel like then I would get designated less and have more time to write!

Something you like to do:

I like to escape. Life, the world, my family occasionally. I love my own company and I have a craving for adventures. Together me, myself and I, get into all kinds of mischief. So, if I can’t do that in the real world, I will do it via my books.

Something you wish you’d never done:

Gotten older. The best part about being young is that you don’t understand what life is yet. You have all that potential to make mistakes, do things wrong, and generally be a mess, and you have no idea of what that means long-term. You live in the now! God, I miss that.

Things you always put in your books:

Romance, relationships, discovery, and renewed understanding. These are the things I find more relevant to life and living, and these are the things therefore that each of my books have. Regardless of the genre.

Things you never put in your books:

I was going to say violence, but that’s not entirely true. I do have some fight scenes which are quite dramatic. I guess rape, would be one I refuse to write. A person’s body in my humble opinion is their own temple and is sacred, and there is no storyline in which I can justify the violation of that.

Things to say to an author:

Hi, my name is…let’s just start with that. Authors are people, and like all people we like to get to know you. Don’t be shy, and if you have a question, ask! Chances are if we don’t know the answer, we will make one up, so you might be the only person in the world that finds that out.

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

Don’t introduce yourself. Troll them on social media about how rubbish their books are. And tell them that you will only like their work if they (insert random storyline you desire). There is nothing that will kill imagination faster than parameters.

Things that make you happy:

Driving in my car with music blaring and the sun shining. The start of a new book (either reading it or writing it). When I have time to be myself.

Things that drive you crazy:

People doing dumb stuff. Hatred for hatred’s sake. Having an amazing story idea and nothing to write it down on. Dreams – refer to the last!

About VK:

VK Tritschler is the definition of very busy. Having both a fulltime job, a growing family and a career as an author she has a lot going on both around her and in her imagination. She lives on the amazing Eyre Peninsula in South Australia, having moved there from her hometown of Christchurch, New Zealand. Her family consists of a very patient husband, two rampant boys, and too many pets to mention.

She has a wonderful set of amazing writers who support her in the form of Eyre Writers, and in return, she offers crowd control services for the Youth section who are the future best-selling Australian authors.

Her first book “The Secret Life of Sarah Meads” was released in 2018 and since then she has participated in the NYC Writing Challenge, the Clunes Booktown, and helped organize and run the Eyre Writers Festival.

Let’s Be Social:

www.vktritschler.com

www.facebook.com/vktritschler

www.twitter.com/vktritschler

www.goodreads.com/vktritschler

Here's Looking at You - Invest in a Professional Headshot

You are your brand, and of all the things you can spend money on for your writing journey, I would suggest that professional photos are well worth the investment. You also want to make sure that your photo looks like you. If you’ve lost weight or changed your hair color, it’s time to update your photo. Here are a few things I’ve learned over the years.

• Selfies and cell phone candids often don’t have the resolution that you want. It needs to be high enough to be reproduced in digital and in print formats.

• Make sure that the photographer you use does digital touchups to ensure that your photo is topnotch.

• Be careful with the touchups. Slight adjustments are good for a quality photo. You just don’t want someone who is heavy handed with the airbrush tool. I’ve seen some that no longer look like a photograph or the person.

• When you’re reviewing the proofs, make sure the background isn’t busy or distracting. Look at what’s behind you. You don’t want something in the background that looks like it’s going through your head or attacking you.

• Make sure that you’re the only one in the photo. You don’t want parts of arms or legs where someone has cropped out the person next to you.

• Outside shots are great for natural lighting. Just be aware that bugs, nature, and the wind sometimes don’t cooperate.

• Wear solid colors that highlight your skin tone and hair color. Busy prints often don’t translate well in digital formats.

• Make sure any jewelry or hair accessories are complementary.

• Look at your nails. Photographers often include hands in the shot.

• Get recommendations from other authors on photographers and services.

• Make sure you know what’s included and what you’re getting for your money. Some photographers charge for multiple outfits.

• Also make sure that you have the rights to use the photos as you see fit. Some photographers require copyright information for use.

Professional photos are an investment. They’re worth the time and cost to help give you a consistent look on all your marketing efforts.

#ThisorThatThursday Author Interview with George Cramer

Please help me welcome author George Cramer to the blog for #ThisorThatThursday!

Things you need for your writing sessions: My handwriting, and yes, I still write in cursive, is so bad, I need a laptop. Add a flat service and comfortable straight-back chair, and I’m set. I can be at my desk, kitchen table, library, or even a coffee shop. Conversations don’t bother me.

Things that hamper your writing: Artificial sounds, music, radio, or television.

Things you love about writing: The ability, or in my case, the hope of using written words to paint a picture another person can experience in such a way as to place themselves in the setting and scene.

Things you hate about writing: Searching for the right colors (words) to paint that perfect scene.

The hardest thing about being a writer: Sitting down and writing that first word.

Easiest thing about being a writer: Being able to take on any project that allows me to avoid sitting down and writing that first word. My biggest escape from creating new material is to self-critique and edit my already written work.

Words that describe you: Easy to work with and open to new ideas and thoughts.

Words that describe you, but you wish they didn’t: According to my wife (and kids), I am the most hardheaded, stubborn human.

Favorite foods: Liver and Onions with bacon. Next favorite is an In-and-Out protein burger with cheese and onions only.

Things that make you want to gag: Mayonnaise.

Things you always put in your books: A variation of something I experienced in life.

Things you never put in your books: Incidents that would embarrass me or others.

Things to say to an author: I enjoyed your latest book and wrote a review.

Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book: I didn’t like your book, and I wrote several reviews.

Favorite places you’ve been: Glacier National Park and riding my Harley-Davidson up Going-To-The-Sun-Road. This side trip is often connected to the rides to and from Sturgis, South Dakota. I’ve made several detours through Ouray, Colorado, to ride the Million-Dollar-Highway on U.S. 550, a spur of U.S. 50.

Places you never want to go to again: Jamacia—Nuff said.

Favorite books (or genre): My favorite book is challenging. I like Bernard Cornwell’s immensely. But that is strictly for fun. Among my favorites for content and impact, I would have to include Hard Times: For These Times by Charles Dickens in 1854; and The Stranger the 1942 novella by Albert Camus. I was not a fan of his until I read a few of his works while studying for an MFA at the Institute of American Indian Arts.

Books you wouldn’t buy Horror stories by authors like Stephen King. Fantastic craftsmanship, but no scary horror for this reader.

The most daring thing you’ve ever done: I suffer from fear of heights (acrophobia). I even suffer anxiety and fear while watching movies. The daring thing I’ve done is Zip Lining. I shake, going up the tower and on the platform. However, the second I clamp on, the fear evaporates, and I jump. I love it.

Something you chickened out from doing: My oldest son is a commercial diver. I wanted to share the experience with him, even though I don’t know how to swim. I signed up for scuba lessons and faked it until I got on a dive boat. When it came time for the first open water dive, I got in the water and froze. Getting back in the boat, I cursed myself for being such a ^^%$^ coward. When the other divers started their second dive, I went in and found it exhilarating.

The coolest person you’ve ever met: Joel McRae. Mr. McRae was an American Actor who most of your readers have never heard of.

The celebrity who didn’t look like they did in pictures/video: Eve Arden. Ms. Arden was an actress who passed away in 1990. She was even more beautiful in real life than on the screen.

About George:

An enrolled descendant of the Karuk Tribe of California, George Cramer brings forty years of investigative experience to crime and historical fiction. He earned an MFA-Creative Writing from the Institute of American Indian Arts, Santa Fe, New Mexico.

George conducted and managed thousands of successful investigations throughout the Americas, Europe, and Asia. An expert in Interviewing, he kept his skills honed by volunteering as a Missing Person’s investigator at the San Leandro, California, Police Department.

George’s debut novel, The Mona Lisa Sisters, was published in 2020. He contributes to several anthologies and the Veteran’s Writing Project.

He is a member of Crime Writers of Color, Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, California Writers Club, and the Public Safety Writers Association.

Besides writing, his love is a long-distance motorcycle riding on his 2001 Harley-Davidson Ultra Classic.

Let’s Be Social:

Email: gdcramer@msn.com

Website: https://gdcramer.com

FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/george.cramer.56211/

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

Research Your Genre - Tips for Authors

It’s often hard when writers plan out a new WIP (Work in Progress), especially if they want it to be a series. You need to know what will be selling in the next two to three years, and I don’t know about you, but my crystal ball is broken. Here are some ideas that can help as you plan your next project.

• Read everything you can get your hands on in your genre. It helps you to see what is popular now and the trends.

• Read all of the acknowledgment pages. See who the agents, publicists, and editors are. This will help you later when you query.

• Peruse online book retailers and visit bookstores to see what is on their shelves. You’ll need a list of comps (comparables) when you start your querying process.

• Many times, books are rejected because the publisher already has one that is similar.

• If you believe in your story, you need to come up with ways to show that it is different from everything else that is out there. What makes it unique?

• Look at agents’ websites and their wish lists. This shows you what they represent and is often a good indicator of what they think they can sell in the next few years.

• When you’re plotting your story, look for hooks that will appeal to your type of reader. Set it in a unique place. Give your character an interesting job that readers want to know more about.

• Write the best book you can. Make sure that it is professionally edited before you begin the query process.

The publishing business is a tough business. Agents and editors represent stories they think will sell, so it’s a good idea to spend some time researching your genre.