#WriterWednesday Interview with K. C. Grifant

I’d like to welcome author K. C. Grifant to the blog today!

A few of your favorite things: I love Back to the Future paraphernalia, new coffee beans, interesting stone pendants.

Things you need to throw out: My high heels – after becoming a parent and getting used to a work-from-home lifestyle, I hope to never wear them again.

Things you need for your writing sessions: Coffee, sugar, and music.

Things that hamper your writing: Leaf-blowers outside the window, doorbells.

Things you love about writing: The opportunity to create entirely new worlds and realities.

Things you hate about writing: How typos and errors are as persistent as cockroaches, even in final drafts.

Hardest thing about being a writer: Fighting off imposter syndrome.

Easiest thing about being a writer: Recommending books and authors.

Words that describe you: Creative and thoughtful

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

Favorite foods: Tacos

Things that make you want to gag: Licorice

Favorite beverage: A creative latte

Something that gives you a sour face: sour beer

Favorite smell: Amber, lilacs and jasmine

Something that makes you hold your nose: overpowering candles

Favorite books (or genre): Anything with a speculative and creative twist, so ideally something in the sci-fi, fantasy or horror genres.

Books you wouldn’t buy: A series that doesn’t have any speculative elements.

The thing that you will most remember about your writing life: The kindness and support of friends, family and strangers when my debut book came out.

Something in your writing life that you wish you could do over: I wish I had learned how to ignore imposter syndrome much earlier.

Most daring thing you’ve ever done: Riding in a hot air balloon. It seems tranquil and peaceful until you think about how you’re floating hundreds of feet in the air in essentially a giant wicker basket beneath a huge flame and balloon.

Something you chickened out from doing: Sky diving. Growing up it always sounded like fun, but now I’ve hit an age where the thought is more terrifying than appealing.

About K. C.:

KC Grifant is an award-winning author based in Southern California who writes internationally published horror, fantasy, science fiction and weird west stories for podcasts, anthologies and magazines. Her short stories have appeared in Andromeda Spaceways Magazine, Unnerving Magazine, Cosmic Horror Monthly, Dark Matter Magazine, the British SF Association’s Fission Magazine, Tales to Terrify, the Lovecraft eZine, and many others.

 In addition to a Weird West novel, MELINDA WEST: MONSTER GUNSLINGER (Brigids Gate Press, Feb 2023), she has also written for dozens of anthologies, including: Chromophobia; Musings of the Muse; Dancing in the Shadows—A Tribute to Anne Rice; Field Notes from a Nightmare; The One That Got Away; Six Guns Straight From Hell; Shadowy Natures; Beyond the Infinite - Tales from the Outer Reaches; and the Stoker-nominated Fright Mare: Women Write Horror.

 For details, please visit www.KCGrifant.com or @kcgrifant on the social sites.

Let’s Be Social:

Website:  www.KCGrifant.com

Newsletter sign-up: http://eepurl.com/hmZGVb

Book page: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BNWR19WN

Instagram: instagram.com/kcgrifant/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/kcgrifant
Facebook: facebook.com/kcgrifant
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kcgrifant

What to do When You Don't Feel Like Writing

I try to write every day, but life does get in the ways sometimes. And there are days when I just don’t feel like working. Here are some ideas to jump start your creativity.

• When I am in writing mode, I try to “bank some words” to meet my weekly goals. This gives me some flexibility for days with less productivity. I also do this if I know I have a busy day with not much time to write.

• Work on other projects like your website, blog, editing, proofreading.

• Work on book marketing or event planning.

• Build your social media platforms by following new accounts and responding to comments and posts.

• Excercise. Even a few minutes will get your endorphins pumping.

• Take a break and go for a walk (even if it’s up and down the hall). A change of scenery is often good.

• Work on another creative project like cooking, painting, sewing, etc. Sometimes, it will help you get your mind focused when you return to writing.

• Step away from your desk and go somewhere else. The time away is often the break you need.

• Make sure you’ve turned off or blocked out distractions. Sometimes, shutting the door helps. I use my noise-cancelling headphones before I throw in the towel on an unproductive writing session.

When I’m not motivated, it’s usually because I’m distracted by something else (usually my phone, email, or social media). My headphones were a great investment.

#ThisorThatThursday Author Interview with D. C. Gomez

I’d like to welcome back D. C. Gomez to the blog for more on her latest work.

Favorite thing that you always make time for:

One of my favorite things that I always make time for is reading. With my crazy schedule sometimes reading is more like a reward, but still makes everything better.

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

I still hate vacuuming. It’s seriously one of those necessary evils since I suffer from allergies. But I procrastinate as much as possible before doing it.

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

When I’m writing, I need my space to be as comfy as possible. I normally have candles on, a blanket over my legs, and lots of water easily available. On the practical side, since I write Urban Fantasy, Goggle Earth is the one app I allowed myself to have on all the time.

Things that distract you from writing:

My biggest distraction is social media. I honestly have to set a timer when I’m working on a book to make sure I don’t fall down the social media hole and get nothing done.

The coolest thing you’ve bought online:

I have an obsession with kitchen appliances. This is something all my family makes fun of me for. The coolest thing I bought online was a panini press. It’s truly so much fun, if you like sandwiches of courses.

The thing you wished you’d never bought.

One crazy thing I recently purchased was a case of stuffed olives. The packaging said they were delicious stuffed with salmon. Not the best purchased I made, especially since I had 24 cans of these things. Now I’m working on paying more attention to item descriptions.

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

The one thing I will most remember in my writing journey, is being able to meet and connect with readers at live events. This has been the most unexpected and fun part of this journey. It has been a true blessing to meet as many people as I have throughout the years.

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

If I could do something over, it would be to invest in ads from the beginning. I feel like I wasted a lot of time and money trying to learn how to market my books without ads.

Something you’re really good at:

I’m actually great at cooking. It’s also one of my favorite things to do to relax. Lately I don’t have as much time to cook as I would like, so I cherish the time that I do.

Something you never learned how to do:

This is probably the most shocking thing for most people to learn since I grew up in an island. I never learned to swim. It’s on my bucket list now.

Your best recipe:

I have an awesome recipe for a Flan. The Latin desert is something I grew up making since I was little. I have a crazy sweet tooth, so I enjoy how easy it is to make.

Something that didn’t turn out like you planned when you made it:

I tried once to make tiramisu and failed miserably. There was a terrible mess in my kitchen and the poor thing tasted nasty.

Things you always put in your books:

I didn’t realize how much food is in my books. I have reader mentioned that my books make them hungry, because I’m always describing what my characters are eating all the time.

Things you never put in your books:

This one is hard. Since I write in multiple genres I get to play with my different things. Probably the one thing you wouldn’t see in many of my books is a graphic sex scene. The books that might sex in them usually fade to black.

Most daring thing you’ve ever done:

To this day, joining the military was the most daring thing I ever done. Nobody in my family had ever been in the armed forces, so this was a leap of faith with very little information.

Something you chickened out from doing:

I learned later in life that I’m terrified of heights. Things that I chickened out is rock climbing. While it sounds very exciting, that is something I can absolutely live without.

The coolest person you’ve ever met:

To this day, Elizabeth Gilbert is the coolest person I have ever met. She is absolutely charming and personable. Officially the kind person you just want to chill with.

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

I had the opportunity to meet Mark Anthony at a previous job. He is truly a sweetheart, but I was not aware how small he is.

The nicest thing a reader said to you:

One of the nicest things a reader has told me, is that they read my devotionals every morning. The fact they made those books part of their daily routine just made my day.

The craziest thing a reader said to you:

I had a reader who truly loves my Urban Fantasy books. One of the funniest and wildest things he told me was that the books were like a documentary on his life.

About D. C.:

D. C. Gomez is an award-winning USA Today Bestselling Author, Podcaster, motivational speaker, and coach. Born in the Dominican Republic, she grew up in Salem, Massachusetts. D. C. studied film and television at New York University. After college, she joined the US Army, and proudly served for four years.

D. C. has a master’s degree in Science Administration from the Central Michigan University, as well as a Master in Adult Education from Texas A&M- Texarkana University. She is a certified John Maxwell Team speaker and coach, and a certified meditation instructor from the Chopra Center.

One of D. C. passions is helping those around her overcome their self-limiting beliefs. She writes both non-fiction as well as fiction books, ranging from Urban Fantasy to Children’s Books. To learn more about her books and her passion, you can find her at www.dcgomez-author.com.

Let’s Be Social:

Facebook: https://facebook.com/dcgomez.author

Instagram: https://instagram.com/dc.gomez

TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@dcgomez_author

Website: http://dcgomez-author.com

#WriterWednesday Interview with Francesca Maria

I’d like to welcome Francesca Maria to the blog for #WriterWednesday! It’s cold in parts of the world right now, and she’s bringing a bit of summer memories and warmth to our North American winter.

A few of your favorite summer traditions: Picnic lunch on the beach with a book and my hubby, swimming, BBQs, late night strolls

Something summer-related that you’ll never do again: Disneyland on a summer weekend, I love it but it’s too crowded and hot!

Something crazy you did on vacation: Cave tubing in Belize, it was so much fun and the water was incredible!

Something you’d never do again on vacation: Travel in the back of a pickup truck for three days without air conditioning or seatbelts. Ah, the 80s.

Favorite summer beverage: Orange Fanta – sometimes with an added scoop of vanilla ice cream.

A drink that gives you a pickle face: Maker’s Mark – don’t ask.

Best summer memory: Going to Great America Amusement Park with my girlfriends as a wee lass.

Something you’d rather forget: Crashing a boat into a pier – really, don’t ask, it has something to do with the Maker’s Mark above.

Funniest summer story: When I was young my family took a trip up to Yellowstone. My dad was an amateur photographer who got too close to a Buffalo that charged at him. My dad ran for his life laughing away while the rest of us screamed in bloody terror for him to get back into the car. It was funny – afterwards.

Something embarrassing that happened during the summer: Probably a pretty common story, the upper half of my swimsuit came undone and it was my guy friends that pointed it out.

Best thing you ever grilled in spring: Turkey burgers, hands down.

Your worst kitchen or grilling disaster: Same as above – though burnt.

Your favorite thing to get from the ice cream truck: Cherry Popsicle

Some dessert that you wish you’d never bought: Flan.

Favorite thing to do on a summer evening: Go for long walks and check out the stars.

Least favorite thing about summer: The HEAT! I melt.

The thing you like most about being a writer: Creating something from nothing and having people enjoy it.

The thing you like least about being a writer: The pressure of meeting deadlines is both a blessing and a curse. I write my best stuff under pressure but I could do without the stress of it.

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

Things you never put on your shopping list: Milk, it just doesn’t like me.

The thing that you will most remember about your writing life: The joy I feel when I’ve finished something that I’m proud of.

Something in your writing life that you wish you could do over: I wish that I started writing professionally earlier in life. But I learned that it’s never too late to follow your dreams.

Most daring thing you’ve ever done: I played drums for a punk band for the first time, with no rehearsal at a club in front of a live crowd.

Something you chickened out from doing: Hiking high up on a precarious cliff. I had to turn back down, no thank you.

About Francesca:

Francesca Maria writes dark fiction surrounded by cats near the Pacific Ocean. She is the creator of the Black Cat Chronicles, a true horror comic book series narrated by a mystical black cat. And her short story collection; They Hide: Short Stories to Tell in the Dark will be out in April 2023 from Brigid’s Gate Press. Her short stories and essays can be found in Crystal Lake Publishing's Shallow Waters series and anthologies and Death’s Garden Revisited. You can find her at francescamaria.com and on Twitter @Writer_of_Weird.

Keyboard Shortcuts Save Time - Tips for Writers

Keyboard shortcuts can save writers some time. Here are quick ones for that can help as you write.

• Ctrl + C = Copy

• Ctrl + V = Paste

• Ctrl + Z = Undo Last Function

• Ctrl + B = Bold Text

• Ctrl + I = Italicize Text

• Ctrl + U = Underline Text

• Ctrl + = (Equal Sign) = Subscript

• Ctrl + + (Plus Sign) = Superscript

• Ctrl + F = Find

• Ctrl + P = Print

• Ctrl + S = Save

• Ctrl + O = Open a File

• Ctrl + A = Select All

• Ctrl + 1 = Single Space

• Ctrl + 2 = Double Space

• Ctrl + 5 = 1.5 Spacing

Microsoft Outlook Shortcuts

• Ctrl + R = Reply

• Ctrl + Shift + M = Create New Email

• Ctrl + 3 = Open Contacts

Shortcuts on the Ribbon

When in a Microsoft product, click the Alt key, and letters and numbers will appear in black squares on the ribbon.

Type the letter or number combination in the black box to activate that function. If the black boxes disappear, just press the ALT key again. To make the black boxes disappear, click Alt.

This is a quick way to access all of the keyboard shortcuts without any memorizing.

#WriterWednesday Interview with James Hill

I’d like to welcome author and publisher, James Hill to the blog for #WriterWednesday.

Things you need when you’re in your writing cave: hot tea, music on my iPod when I need to find the right mood.

Things that distract you from writing: the dog.

Hardest thing about being a writer: making money. Selling books is the most difficult part.

Easiest thing about being a writer: finding ideas to write about. There are dozens of interesting things that happen in the world each day and every one of them can be turned into a story.

Things you will run to the store for at midnight: toilet paper, beer, donuts, not necessarily in that order.

Things you never put on your shopping list: milk

Favorite snacks: Devil Dogs

Things that make you want to gag: rice pudding

Something you’re really good at: writing

Something you’re really bad at: spelling

Something you wish you could do: play the guitar.

Something you wish you’d never learned to do: being a database administrator.

Things to say to an author: I left you a great review, I bought your whole series, I told all my friends to read your book.

Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book: I thought the story was great, but you know what would have been even better…

Favorite places you’ve been: Mauna Loa, Egypt, California, the top of the Empire State Building.

Places you never want to go to again: I don’t think there is any place I been to that I wouldn’t go back. There are places I never planned to go to like Antarctica, it is just too cold.

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

People you’d cancel dinner on: Donald Trump

Favorite things to do: fishing, writing (naturally), and the obvious.

Things you’d run through a fire or eat bugs to get out of doing: being the on-call person on the overnight shift. It was a horrible time and I’d never take a job where I had to do that again.

The nicest thing a reader said to you: I read the first book and I can’t wait to read this one.

The craziest thing a reader said to you: Did you ever kill anybody and is it in the book?

About James Hill:

James L Hill, a.k.a. J L Hill, is a native New Yorker from the South Bronx, Fort Apache, of the turbulent 60’s.

He earned a degree in computer programming, his other love. A multi-genre author, his experiences seasoned his novels and the worlds he imagined.

James started RockHill Publishing LLC to publish his own work and give others access to the literary world.

The four-part adult urban crime series, The Killer Series, is complete. Killer With A Heart, Killer With Three Heads, Killer With Black Blood have all received five-star reviews. Killer With Ice Eyes, the final chapter of the boys from the Bronx, is available now.

He is currently working on a three-part historical fantasy Gemstone Series; The Emerald Lady is in publication to rave reviews. The Ruby Cradle and the third book, The Diamond Warrior, is coming soon.

Then there’s the psychological dystopian science fiction thriller, Pegasus: A Journey To New Eden for your reading pleasure.

Let’s Be Social:

Readers and Writers Podcast:

https://anchor.fm/rockhillpublishing

YouTube channel:

https://bit.ly/RockHillYouTube

RockHill Publishing Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rockhillpublishing

Author J L Hill Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/jlhill57

Watch out for Mobile Malware

Malicious software that targets devices and accesses your sensitive information is called mobile malware. Applications, email, texts, and webpages are ways that this software can affect and infiltrate your devices.

Here are some tips to help you protect your mobile devices and accounts:

• Stay current with your software updates. These contain patches to fix vulnerabilities. If you skip updates, your device isn’t protected.

• Use secure WiFi. This can limit attackers from introducing malware on your device.

• Don’t click on questionable links in texts and emails. This one should be on the list multiple times. This is the easiest way for you to let a bad guy in.

• Be aware of who you’re responding to in texts. Attackers often impersonate people you know or might respond to. These are called smishing attempts/attacks.

• Only download apps from reliable sources (your trusted app store). You take a chance if you download from a link or an unknown website.

Be careful out there. There are a lot of bad actors. You have to be vigilant all the time.

#ThisorThatThursday Author Interview with Leah Dobrinska

I’d like to welcome the fabulous Leah Dobrinska to the blog today for #ThisorThatThursday!

A few of your favorite things: I love pretty notebooks; the smell of books, both old and new; my husband and our kids; monthly game night with friends; book club meetings; Nancy Drew; going to the library; running through the local park; vanilla lattes; Christmas; changing seasons; and pictures in frames.

Things you need to throw out: My old college textbooks. They are taking up prime book-shelf real-estate, and if I haven’t needed them in over a decade, I probably am not going to, right?

Things you need for your writing sessions: My computer and a timer—usually just the stop-watch app on my phone. I draft entire books using (almost) exclusively brief writing sprints. I set my timer for thirty minutes and get as many words on the page as possible in that amount of time. As a result, I don’t stop to sip any type of beverage, and I don’t require much!

Things that hamper your writing: Music. I love listening to music in general, and I make a specific playlist for each of my books, but I can’t listen to it while I’m writing. I can’t come up with my own words when I’m focused on someone else’s!

Things you love about writing: I love creating fictional worlds. I love crafting characters with whom I’d want to be friends and inventing places I’d want to visit in real life. I love the moment when I story clicks, or a scene comes together, or even when I write just one really great line. I love that I feel the most like myself when I’m writing.

Things you hate about writing: I hate the feeling I get in my gut when I don’t have the solution to a plot problem. I’m getting better at realizing that it’s all part of the process, and I will figure it out, but when I encounter a plot hurdle, it can be all-consuming for me until I work through how to resolve it, and I don’t love that.

Favorite foods: Fruit of any kind; Pasta of any kind; Ice cream of any kind…it’s all about balance.

Things that make you want to gag: Raw meat.

Favorite music or song: I am a huge fan of Taylor Swift’s music. I am so inspired by the way she tells complete, intricate, clever, thought-provoking stories within the confines of a three to five minute song. If I had to pick a favorite song of hers, I’d go with “All Too Well”.

Music that drives you crazy: Anything with lyrics I can’t understand. I’m all about the words, so if I don’t know what an artist is saying, it’s going to be a no from me.

Favorite smell: The smell of northern Wisconsin in July. So many of my core memories are tied to summers in the Northwoods, that the scent of lake musk, pine trees, damp sand, and sunshine will forever give me a hit of serotonin. So much so, in fact, that I based Larkspur, the location of Death Checked Out, off a small town in Northern Wisconsin.

Something that makes you hold your nose: Sour-smelling laundry.

Last best thing you ate: Carbonara from a small family-owned restaurant in Rome, Italy. I will dream about that meal for the rest of my life.

Last thing you regret eating: The tuna casserole I made last week. Everyone else in the family loves it and will eat it (no small feat with four children), so I made it for them, and I choked it down.

The last thing you ordered online: Mint green library card notecards. I love to write little notes on them and send them with copies of my books for giveaway winners or folks who order directly from me. There’s something so nostalgic about them, and readers have told me they use them as bookmarks. The mint green ones are especially appropriate because Greta, my amateur sleuth in Death Checked Out, is a library director and the books cover is a beautiful green!

The last thing you regret buying: All the toys with sound that we gave our kids for Christmas.

Things you always put in your books: Happy endings! Whether I’m writing in the mystery genre or the romance genre, my books will never not have a happy resolution. That, and I’ve consistently written a café into each of my books. It’s such a perfect gathering place, and especially in small town communities, it’s a great place to spread, share, and learn information. I wish I could visit Mugs & Hugs, the café in Death Checked Out in real life.

Things you never put in your books: Explicit content. It’s not my style.

Things to say to an author: “You’re doing a great job. I loved your book. It should totally be made into a movie. I want to live in Larkspur! I want to be friends with (insert character name here)! I’m going to go leave a 5 star review online and tell all my friends!”

Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book: “I loved everything about this book. 3 stars!”

Favorite books (or genre): Pride & Prejudice is my all-time favorite book. I love me a classic. Lately, I’ve been reading mostly romcoms and cozies, so a couple recent favorites include Faking Christmas by Cindy Steel, and the Christmas Tree Farm mystery series by Jacqueline Frost.

Books you wouldn’t buy: Anything dark and/or gory.

Most embarrassing moment: My two year old son pulled the fire alarm at his older sisters’ school and I have never been more embarrassed in my life.

Proudest moment: Watching my kids show kindness to other kids.

The nicest thing a reader said to you: Anytime a reader tells me that my books got them back into reading, I take it as the highest compliment. That, and when they tell me that they wish my characters and settings were real.

The craziest thing a reader said to you: “This book was so predictable…I didn’t figure out what was going to happen until the very end.” And yes, that was all in the same review.

About Leah:

Leah Dobrinska is the author of the Larkspur Library Mysteries, a cozy mystery series set in the Wisconsin Northwoods, and the Mapleton novels, a series of award-winning standalone small town romances. She earned her degree in English Literature from UW-Madison where she was awarded the Dean’s Prize and served as a Writing Fellow. She has since worked as a freelance writer, editor, and content marketer. Leah lives in Wisconsin with her husband and their gaggle of kids. When she's not writing, handing out snacks, or visiting local parks, Leah enjoys reading and running. Find out more about Leah, join her newsletter community, and connect with her through her website, leahdobrinska.com.

Let’s Be Social:

Website: https://leahdobrinska.com/

Newsletter: https://leahdobrinska.com/newsletter

Amazon Author Page: https://amzn.to/3zB9eeg

The Mapleton Series (Amazon): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09BFXFBS3

The Larkspur Library Mysteries (Amazon): https://amzn.to/3ULbXch

Death Checked Out Purchase link (Amazon): https://amzn.to/3T4XK9n

Death Checked Out Purchase link (Barnes & Noble): https://bit.ly/bndeathcheckedout

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

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

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@whatleahwrote

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/leah-dobrinska

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/leahdobrinska