#ThisorThatThursday Author Interview with Kevin Kluesner

I’d like to welcome author Kevin Kluesner to the blot for #ThisorThatThursday!

Things you need for your writing sessions: Anything to capture a thought, whether it’s a computer, phone, tablet and pen, or even a scorecard and a golf pencil.

Things that hamper your writing: Interruptions during my protected time to write.

Things you love about writing: I love getting people excited about a character, a place, and a story that I invented.

Things you hate about writing:

Hardest thing about being a writer: Facing rejection from publishers, agents, and media outlets (when promoting a book).

Easiest thing about being a writer: Talking with your readers about characters and scenes that moved them.

Things you never want to run out of: Laughter and love.

Things you wish you’d never bought: The family size bag of Tostitos that’s calling to me from the pantry right now.

Favorite music or song: Tony Bennett’s Someday.

Music that drives you crazy: Metal.

Favorite beverage: A really hoppy IPA.

Something that gives you a sour face: Any hard liquor.

Favorite smell: Toss up between bacon or coffee (the smell of both together is nirvana).

Something that makes you hold your nose: (Brussel sprouts or broccoli roasting in the oven).

Something you wish you could do: Play music, guitar especially.

Something you wish you’d never learned to do: I can’t think of anything I’ve learned that I would want to unlearn.

The last thing you ordered online: The novel, Armored, by Mark Greaney.

The last thing you regret buying: The second Big Mac and the large fries.

Favorite books (or genre): Thrillers

Books you wouldn’t buy: Romance novels

People you’d like to invite to dinner (living): John Grisham, Gregg Hurwitz, and Stephen King

People you’d cancel dinner on: Donald Trump and Hunter Biden

Things that make you happy: Seeing something amazing for the first time.

Things that drive you crazy: The mundane.

Best thing you’ve ever done: Marrying my wife, Janet, 42 years ago.

Biggest mistake: Not committing myself to writing earlier.

The nicest thing a reader said to you: I had a reader tell me that she took my novel, The Killer Sermon, to Florida on vacation. She read the first two thirds of the book and wanted to save the last third to enjoy on the flight home. But she said she enjoyed it too much and finished it by midweek.

The craziest thing a reader said to you: That she didn’t like happy endings (Good thing I do)!

About Kevin

I earned both a BA in journalism and later an MBA from Marquette University. I've worked as the outdoor writer for a daily newspaper, taught marketing and management classes at both the undergraduate and graduate level and served as an administrator of an urban safety net hospital. 

The Killer Sermon is my debut novel.  It introduces FBI agent Cole Huebsch and a thriller series set in Wisconsin and the Midwest. I might be the only person to claim membership in both the American College of Healthcare Executives and the International Thriller Writers. I live in New Berlin, Wisconsin, with my soulmate and wife Janet. 

Let’s Be Social

LinkedIn:  Kevin Kluesner | LinkedIn

Facebook:  (1) Kevin Kluesner | Facebook 

Instagram:  Kevin Kluesner (@kevkluesner) • Instagram photos and videos

Twitter:  Kevin Kluesner (@kevkluesner) / Twitter

How a Character List Can Help Your Writing

A list of key character and places (Sometimes called a Character bible) can help you keep details consistent, especially if you are writing a series. It takes a bit of time to create one, but it is invaluable for your writing and revising. It will also save you time if your editor or publisher asked for a detailed character list.

I created a spreadsheet with a series of tables in it, so I can sort the data according to topic. The first has all the characters. I made separate columns for first and last names. Then I created a column for each book for descriptions and important details.

• Every named character gets a row in the chart.

• I fill the cell with a color to indicate that she/he doesn’t appear in a book. Some of my town folk pop in and out during the series.

• I also color code the victims and killers.

• I put a lot of detail in the spreadsheet about the characters. It helps me work through the backstory, and I have the information if I need it; however, all the details don’t always end up the books.

• The chart also helps me not to reuse names that I have previously used.

• Make sure to update your chart when you change character names.

• My list has been invaluable with helping me keep the spelling of names/nicknames consistent.

My second table in the spreadsheet lists key locations. (In a separate document, I usually make myself a small map of the town, so that when I talk about places or give directions, they’re consistent.)

I also have a third chart for my cozy series that shows what recipes I included in each book.

Then, when I get ready to start writing the next book in the series, I make a copy of that spreadsheet, add a new column for the next title and add the new and repeat characters.

#ThisorThatThursday Author Interview with Natasha Deen

I’d like to welcome author Natasha Deen to the blog for #ThisorThatThursday!

A few of your favorite things:

Friends, family, and tea!

Things you need to throw out:

Old mindsets about what it means to be a writer.

Things you need for your writing sessions:

Socks, white noise or music, treats (cookies!)

Things that hamper your writing:

Outside noise (construction), busy environments (coffee shops), myself ;-)

Things you love about writing:

Engaging readers with my stories and being one of the reasons they’ve had a good day/night.

Things you hate about writing:

Writer’s block.

Hardest thing about being a writer:

Baahahahaaaa!! Everything not connected with daydreaming the story.

Easiest thing about being a writer:

Daydreaming the story.

Things you’d walk a mile for:

My friends, family, and pets

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

Toxic people

Favorite books (or genre):

I love all of the genres!

Books you wouldn’t buy:

Anything that promotes/celebrates dysfunctional relationships, toxic masculinity, misogyny, racism, or homophobia

Most daring thing you’ve ever done:

Deciding to be a professional writer.

Something you chickened out from doing:

Sky-diving

The funniest thing to happen to you:

Too many to list—on the list, going to junior high/high schools and being mistaken for a new student.

The most embarrassing thing to happen to you:

Mixing up vehicles and almost breaking into the wrong car (thinking it was mine)

The coolest person you’ve ever met:

My parents and grandparents

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

Never met one.

The nicest thing a reader said to you:

Anytime a reader would like to chat with me, I think that’s pretty nice. ^_^

The craziest thing a reader said to you:

Not crazy, but adorable—doing a school visit and having one of the grade 3 students invite me home to dinner.

About Natasha

Guyanese-Canadian author NATASHA DEEN has published over forty works for kids, teens, and adults. Her novel, In the Key of Nira Ghani, won the 2020 Amy Mathers Teen Book Award and her upcoming novel, The Signs and Wonders of Tuna Rashad, is a JLG Gold Standard Selection and a CBC Top 14 Canadian YA books to watch for in spring 2022. She’s also the creator of the Lark and Connor Ba mystery series. When she’s not writing, Natasha teaches with the University of Toronto SCS and spends A LOT of time trying to convince her pets that she’s the boss of the house. Visit Natasha at www.natashadeen.com and on Twitter/Instagram, @natasha_deen.

#WriterWednesday Interview with Jennifer Lieberman

I’d like to welcome the fabulous Jennifer Lieberman back to the blog for #WriterWednesday!

Favorite thing to do when you have free time:

I love doing anything active and outdoors, stand up paddle boarding is on of my fav’s but haven’t had a chance to do it in a while.

The thing you’ll always move to the bottom of your to do list:

I really don’t enjoy posting on social media, I know I have to for work but it’s like pulling teeth for me.


Things you need when you’re in your writing cave:

Coffee, I definitely need coffee…and sunlight, colored pens and a notebook in my writing cave.

Things that distract you from writing:

Darkness, I work best during daylight hours.

Hardest thing about being a writer:


Too many ideas!

Easiest thing about being a writer:

Too many ideas!

Favorite snacks:

I love potato chips, I have no self control if they’re in front of me.

Things that make you want to gag:

Anything from an animal, I’m vegan.

Something you’re really good at:


I’m great at handstands.

Something you’re really bad at:

I’m a terrible singer. I could be a millionaire from people paying me not to sing.

Something you wanted to be when you were a kid:

As a child I wanted to be a gardner of sorts, I wanted to sit on a tractor and mow people’s lawns, it looked fun.

Something you do that you never dreamed you’d do:

I never dreamed I’d be an elementary school teacher, I was the performing arts director teaching 3rd-5th grade for a few years.

Something you wish you could do:

I really do wish I could sing.

Something you wish you’d never learned to do:

I learned to recreate my favorite pasta recipe with vegan ingredients, now I make it way too often and eat way too much of it when I do.

Last best thing you ate:


Last best thing I ate was a vegan kale caesar salad at Crossroads Kitchen in LA

Last thing you regret eating:

I regret a midnight In ‘N Out french fry binge I had a few nights ago in LA.

Favorite places you’ve been:


Favorite places are Australia, Iceland, Israel and Denmark, but I need to travel more to answer this question properly.

Places you never want to go to again:

I never want to go back to my old basement apartment in Queens, NY. It was the worst!

People you’d like to invite to dinner (living):

Elton John is definitely top of my list for dinner guests, Madonna and Baz Luhrmann are also up there, I think that’s enough to fill a few rooms personality wise.


People you’d cancel dinner on:

I’d cancel the ‘cancellers’, I have no interest in woke politics especially where art, comedy and expression are concerned, being provocative and expressing unpopular opinions is kinda our job.

Most daring thing you’ve ever done:


I’ve gone skydiving a few times, that’s the craziest thing I’ve ever done by far.

Something you chickened out from doing:

I really wanted to talk to Jason Bateman at the Cannes Film Festival this year to ask him about a movie he directed a while back called Bad Words, it’s one of my favorite comedies, but I chickened out.

About Jennifer

Jennifer Lieberman is a multi-award-winning & best selling author, actor and producer 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 the book 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 book #1 in the Year of the What? series.  Other books by Jennifer include “Make Your Own Break: How To Master Your Virtual Meeting in Seven Simple Steps” and Amazon #1 Best Seller “Make Your Own Break: How To Record & Publish Your Audiobook In Seven Simple Steps.”

Let’s Be Social

WEBSITE: www.YearOfTheWhat.com

SOCIAL MEDIA:

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

Facebook: https://facebook.com/iamjenlieberman

Twitter: https://twitter.com/iamjenlieberman

Using Nonfiction Hooks in Your Book Promotion

When you’re planning your book promotion strategy, make sure to include the nonfiction elements that would be of interest to readers. The goal is to always expand your audience, and this can help you look for areas where you can promote your work. Here are some ideas.

• Make a list of the things and places in your book. This will give you some ideas for creative promotion.

  • These are examples from my glamping series: Blue Ridge Mountains, Glamping, Virginia, Camping, Tiny Houses, and Jack Russell Terriers.

  • More examples from my Delanie Fitzgerald Private Eye Series: Private Eye, Sears Catalog Home, Larping, Roller Derby, Edgar Allan Poe, English Bulldogs, Mustangs, and Drag Queens.

• Look for social media groups and hashtags that relate to your nonfiction topics. When I launched my first Delanie Fitzgerald Mysteries, I found a group on Facebook that promotes Sears Catalog Homes, and I joined. The members were helpful with research ideas, and when the book came out, they promoted it to their followers.

• You may want to do a postcard or an email campaign to businesses that are related to your topics. Many shops and museum gift shops may be interested in your book.

• Look for groups, professional organizations, and clubs (related to your topic) that have newsletters or blogs. There may be opportunities for you to do an article or a guest post.

• Find out if there are professional organizations related to your topic. You can pitch a guest article or interview them for their newsletter or website.

• Look for businesses related to your theme and approach them about doing an event or a book signing. I’ve been part of several Virginia and wine-themed anthologies through the years. We did a lot of signings at museums and wineries.

• Make sure to use your personal groups, clubs, professional organizations, and alumni groups. Most have newsletters or announcements that are willing to share your celebrations.

Book promotion is work, but sometimes it takes a little creativity to find new outlets to share your books.

#ThisorThatThursday Author Interview with Nicole Fanning

I’d like to welcome author Nicole Fanning back 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.

…And this is only the beginning!

#WriterWednesday Interview with Julie Gianelloni Connor

I’d like to welcome the talented Julie Gianelloni Connor to the blog for #WriterWednesday!

A few of your favorite things: All of the art that I have collected from around the world and my book collection, particularly the books about places I have lived.

Things you need to throw out: Papers, papers, papers. I keep all receipts, tax files, travel folders. Really, do I still need receipts from 1981?

Hardest thing about being a writer: Actually starting to write. There always seem to be more pressing matters to take care of.

Easiest thing about being a writer: Actually doing the writing, once I start.

Things you never want to run out of: Clear plastic bags of all sorts. I am a bit of a hoarder in terms of transparent plastic bags. They are good for so many things, from packing your shoes for travel to letting you see what’s inside without actually having to open the bag.

Things you wish you’d never bought: an Apple iPad. I hate it.

Favorite foods: I love just about all food. That’s why I am overweight. It’s so hard to turn down delicious second helpings

Things that make you want to gag: Sweet potatoes. Beets. Liver. These hates are remnants from too many school lunches at parochial schools in Louisiana. (In Louisiana, when I was growing up, all children received a hot lunch no matter what their parents’ income was and no matter what type of school they attended, public, private, or parochial. That was a legacy from Huey Long.)

Something you’re really good at: Horseback riding.

Something you’re really bad at: Anything to do with technology.

Something you wish you could do: A split. As a child, I wanted to be a ballerina, but even then I couldn’t do a split. I think horseback riding tightened my thigh muscles, making me better at riding but worse as far as being flexible. At least that is my theory.

Something you wish you’d never learned to do: Be a really good proofreader. I get tired of correcting other people’s errors, and they don’t appreciate me for doing it. As a boss, my staff hated how many times I would send back a document for corrections.

The last thing you ordered online: A replacement remote.

The last thing you regret buying: A blouse that turned out to be from China, was way too small, and was non-returnable. There was no heads up that the sizes ran small or that items could not be returned.

Things you always put in your books: An international setting.

Things you never put in your books: Comic book-like characters.

Favorite places you’ve been: Too many to list. There’s a reason I worked overseas for so long. Every place has something special and wonderful about it. For example, Guatemala is spectacularly physically beautiful, with volcanoes and lakes and indigenous handicrafts, while Indonesia is so exotic and culturally different that visitors have new insights about western cultural biases.

Places you never want to go to again: Any place really cold. I don’t like cold weather.

Favorite books (or genre): Mysteries. My favorite books as a child were the Nancy Drew series. Once I began my really stressful career, I returned to reading mysteries as my favorite escape.

Books you wouldn’t buy: Science fiction. Although, I have read a few sci-fi books recommended by friends and usually enjoyed them.

Favorite things to do: Read, travel, watch PBS News Hour and Masterpiece Theater, spend time with just about any type of animal but particularly with horses and cats and dogs.

Things you’d run through a fire or eat bugs to get out of doing: Having to learn a new technology. I just learned to use the PayPal card reader to sell my books at events and then PayPal ditched the reader for a new contraption called Zettle. Do they do it to torture me?

About Julie

Julie Gianelloni Connor is an award-winning author and retired senior Foreign Service Officer. Her first book, "Savoring the Camino de Santiago: It’s the Pilgrimage, not the Hike," garnered no. 1 status on Amazon in both the category for new books on hiking and walking and the category for Spain and Portugal. It subsequently went on to win a silver medal in the eLit national competition as well as being selected as a finalist by Self-Publishing Review (SPR), in addition to three other awards. She released her second title, a children’s book, in 2021. It won first place in the children’s book category at the North Texas Book Festival and the Grand Prize for children's books from AMI (Authors Marketing International). "The Baby with Three Families, Two Countries, and One Promise" tells an international adoption story. Her short stories have appeared in four anthologies. Julie is the owner and publisher of Bayou City Press (BCP) in Houston, Texas, which focuses on travel writing, Houston, history, and international affairs. Julie writes a weekly newsletter for BCP updating subscribers about activities. She founded BCP after spending 33 years as a diplomat in the U.S. Foreign Service, first with the U.S. Information Agency and later with the U.S. Department of State. She had nine overseas assignments in seven different countries: Israel (twice), Paraguay, Guatemala, Indonesia, Colombia (twice), Malaysia, and Chile. In Washington, DC, Julie worked on a variety of matters, ranging from nuclear non-proliferation to narcotics control to women’s issues. She has one son, James, and two cats, Halloween and Charles Augustus V. Her books can be ordered from her publishing website (BayouCityPress.com), from her author website (JulieConnorAuthor.com), or from Amazon.com.

Let’s Be Social

Website Bayou City Press: https://bayoucitypress.com

Newsletter Bayou City Press: https://bayoucitypress.com/recent-bcp-newsletters/

Website Julie Connor: https://JulieConnorAuthor.com

Facebook: https://facebook.com/JulieConnorAuthor

Facebook: https://facebook.com/BCPHouston

Instagram: https://instagram.com/JulieConnorAuthor

Instagram: https://instagram.com/bayoucitypress

LinkedIn: https://Linkedin.com/in/JulieConnor

Twitter: https://Twitter.com/@JulConnorAuth

Twitter: https://Twitter.com/@Bayou_CityPress

Read Your Genre - Tips for Authors

I am always surprised at new writers who don’t read other works in their genre. You need to know the techniques and the business of what you want to write. Things are often changing, and it’s a good idea to keep up with the trends. Here are some areas to think about as you read and do your research.

• You need to know what’s popular and selling in your genre. Most of the new books from traditional publishers were purchased 1-2 years ago. Look at the topics and trends.

• Look at the book’s style. Is it written in first person or third?

• Review the language and the dialog the authors use. Are there more descriptive paragraphs? More dialog? A mix of both?

• How long is the book? Your manuscript needs to fit the page expectations and not vary too much. A one-hundred-thousand-word manuscript is too much for a romance novel or a cozy mystery.

• Make note of the conventions in the story. Readers of specific genres expect standard elements. If yours varies too much, it might not be a good fit for that genre.

• Review the acknowledgments page to see who the author’s agent and editor are. This is a good way for you to build a list for your future queries.

• Look at the collection of books by different publishers. Make sure yours is a good fit (and not something they already have). You may want to subscribe to the publisher’s newsletter to see regular updates of their new offerings.

• When you query agents, see who they represent. You want to make sure that you’re a good fit and that your work is what the agent is seeking.