#WriterWednesday Interview with Gerald Elias

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I’d like to welcome author and musician, Gerald Elias, to the blog!

Things you need for your writing sessions: Imagination, something to write with, coffee, and a window to stare out of when my brain goes blank.

Things that hamper your writing: Distractions, lack of ideas, no coffee, and thoughts of pastrami.

Hardest thing about being a writer: Promotion, marketing, learning how to brag about my work without sounding like I’m bragging.

Easiest thing about being a writer: Conjuring up the words –– sometimes even the right ones –– to create entertaining, occasionally thought-provoking stories.

Words that describe you: Willing to dive in, ethical, organized, hardworking.

Words that describe you, but you wish they didn’t: Rash, insistent, too goal oriented.

Favorite music or song: A Mozart piano concerto, Schubert string quintet, or a Bach violin sonata.

Music that drives you crazy: Bad Christmas music arrangements (which means just about all of the new ones), and just about anything by Andrew Lloyd Webber.

Something you’re really good at: Playing music, talking at public events about music and writing, cooking (especially Italian).

Something you’re really bad at: Mountain climbing. I get dizzy too easily, and it scares the crap out of me when I look down and feel like I'm going over the edge. (Gulp.)

Last best thing you ate: I slow-cooked a brisket in the oven for 6 hours. It was so tender you could cut it with a fork. I’m drooling as I write. (Let me know if you want the recipe. It's amazingly easy.)

Last thing you regret eating: That last bite of brisket, leaving my plate with nothing left on it.

Things you’d walk a mile for: Exercise, fresh air, relaxation, a nice view, and especially if there’s a beer or coffee at the end of the mile.

Things that make you want to run screaming from the room: People talking nonstop about their health issues, i.e. “the organ recital.” Also, loud music, but that would be okay if it covered up the “organ recital.”

Things you always put in your books: Quirky and engaging characters, plot twists, and humor.

Things you never put in your books: One-dimensional characters, gore, gratuitous sex, or endless details about weapons of mass destruction.

Things to say to an author: Go for it! Rewrite, rewrite, rewrite! Enjoy the journey, whatever the destination.

Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book: Let me at least put up a good fight while saving a damsel in distress, and then leave a nice epitaph.

Favorite books (or genre): Thrillers by John le Carré, mysteries by Walter Mosley, Donna Leon, and Dick Francis, and adventures by Patrick O’Bryan.

Books you wouldn’t buy: Books on self-help, financial advice, pseudoscience, and The Art of the Deal.

People you’d like to invite to dinner: Mozart and Fani Willis.

People you’d cancel dinner on: Anyone who says they’ll vote for Donald Trump.

Favorite things to do: Go outside, write books, play music, drink coffee, and most of all, be a hands-on grandpa.

Things you’d run through a fire or eat bugs to get out of doing: Filling out tax returns, but I don’t think the IRS will accept running through a fire or eating bugs as an excuse.

About Gerald:

Gerald Elias leads a double life as a critically acclaimed author and internationally recognized musician.

His award-winning Daniel Jacobus mystery series, beginning with Devil’s Trill, takes place in the dark corners of the classical music world. Murder at the Royal Albert, the eighth and most recent installment of the series, was described as a “clever, pacey entry” by Publisher’s Weekly. The audiobook version, featuring excerpts of live performances by the Boston Symphony and the author himself, received praised from AudioFile Magazine “as an altogether delightful listen.”

Elias has also penned two standalone novels: The Beethoven Sequence, a chilling political thriller, and Roundtree Days, a Jefferson Dance Western Mystery, which was a 2023 Silver Falchion Award finalist. His musical memoir, Symphonies & Scorpions, was the subject of his 2019 TEDx presentation. His essays and short stories have been featured in prestigious journals ranging from The Strad magazine to Coolest American Stories 2023. He has just signed a new deal with Level Best Books for two new mysteries, Murder on Vacation and Wild Horses.

A former violinist with the Boston Symphony and associate concertmaster of the Utah Symphony, Elias has performed on five continents and has been the conductor of Salt Lake City’s popular Vivaldi by Candlelight chamber orchestra series since 2004. In 2022, he released a groundbreaking recording of the Opus 1 violin sonatas of the Baroque virtuoso-composer, Pietro Castrucci, on Centaur Records.

Elias divides his time between his home on the shores of Puget Sound in Seattle and his cottage in the Berkshire hills of Massachusetts, savoring the outdoors and maintaining a vibrant concert career while continuing to expand his literary horizons. He particularly enjoys winter, coffee, cooking, travel, watching sports, and being a hands-on grandpa.

Let’s Be Social:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gerald.elias

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

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/geraldelias504/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gerald-elias-6a67a0157/

Website: www.mysteriesandmusic.com



It's That Time of Year Again...

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Every December, I get in my Marie Kondo mode. Out with the old and in with the new. I always dread the cleanup, but it feels good to start the new year with a clean desk (even if it’s only temporary). Here are some of my organizational to-dos that help me get ready for the new year.

  • I clean up my desk. It’s not as bad as the picture, but it’s cluttered. I always end up with tons of sticky notes all over the place.

  • I put all the contacts in my database and all the appointments on my calendar.

  • My photo collection always needs attention. I archive all of the current year’s photos to my external hard drive.

  • It’s also time to clean up the email files and my saved documents. Don’t forget to clean out the Sent and Trash, too. The old stuff takes up space.

  • And it’s tax time. I always procrastinate on the task of pulling all the tax information together. I set up files for the current year and close out the old one.

And if I’m still in an organizing mode, I might get around to the closets. (Or maybe not)

Happy New Year. I hope you have a safe and productive year.

What are you planning to do to get ready for 2024?

#ThisorThatThursday Author Interview with Charles Breakfield and Rox Burkey

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I would like to welcome Charles Breakfield and Rox Burkey to the blog this week for #ThisorThatThursday!

Things you never want to run out of:

Breakfield - Chardonnay wine and stories

Burkey - time and family

Things you wish you’d never bought:

Breakfield – That trampoline in the backyard next to the cliff.

Burkey – A new car with the first book published and those 4” heels

A few of your favorite things:

Breakfield – Harley Road King motorcycle, my dogs, WWII book collection

Burkey – Families with crazy schedules, puppies, and travel

Things you need to throw out:

Breakfield – Nothing, I might need everything.

Burkey – Those 4” heels, everything else I donate

Things you need for your writing sessions:

Breakfield – Coffee.

Burkey – quiet and morning are best

Things that hamper your writing:

Breakfield – bathroom breaks.

Burkey – phone calls, text, and puppies wanting outside

Hardest thing about being a writer:

Breakfield – finding just the right word.

Burkey – Finding the problems before the editor and not enough time

Easiest thing about being a writer:

Breakfield – Lots of words to use.

Burkey – Lot of ideas

Words that describe you:

Breakfield – Handsome and svelte.

Burkey – Tenacious, determined, and sometimes too nice

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

Breakfield – Too generous with praise.

Burkey – Stubborn

Favorite foods:

Breakfield – Pizza

Burkey – broccoli, mushrooms, and chicken.

Things that make you want to gag:

Breakfield – Eggplant pizza.

Burkey – Lima beans

Favorite music or song:

Breakfield – Comfortably Numb by Pink Floyd.

Burkey Til You Can’t by Cody Johnson

Music that drives you crazy:

Breakfield – Country.

Burkey – Opera (I simply can’t hit those notes)

Favorite smell:

Breakfield – Smell of a pretty lady all dolled up for a night out.

Burkey – Baking bread

Something that makes you hold your nose:

Breakfield – That same lady after a really hard workout.

Burkey – Sour milk

Something you’re really good at:

Breakfield – Lying.

Burkey – Working hard when I believe in the goal

Something you’re really bad at:

Breakfield – Telling the truth.

Burkey – Putting up with nonsense and liars

Last best thing you ate:

Breakfield – Elk bratwurst sausage.

Burkey – Scrambled eggs with onions and mushrooms

Last thing you regret eating:

Breakfield – Jimmy’s Chinese #31 with shrimp.

Burkey – Peppermint bark ice cream – but I couldn’t find the plain.

About Breakfield and Burkey:

Breakfield, is a 25+ year technology expert in security, networking, voice, and anything digital. He enjoys writing, studying World War II history, travel, and cultural exchanges. He also enjoys wine tastings, wine-making, Harley riding, cooking extravaganzas, and woodworking.

Burkey, a 25+ year applied technology professional who excels at optimizing technology and business investments for customers worldwide with a focus on optimized customer experiences. She writes white papers and documents with a marked preference for fiction.

Together they create award-winning stories that resonate with males and females, young and experienced adults, and bring a fresh new view to technology possibilities today https://www.EnigmaSeries.com.

#WriterWednesday Interview with W. L. Hawkin

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I’d like to welcome author W. L. Hawkin to the blog for #WriterWednesday!

Favorite thing that you always make time for: reading a good book

The thing you’ll always do just about anything to avoid: reading a contract or procedure

Things you need when you’re in your writing cave: silence so I can hear my voices

Things that distract you from writing: noise and activity

The thing you like most about being a writer: I’m never bored.

The thing you like least about being a writer: Having to sell books.

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

Things you never put on your shopping list: tempeh (made from fermented soy beans. Bleh)

The coolest thing you’ve bought online: a case of my own books

The thing you wished you’d never bought. A vinyl canopy cover that came without a stand and could not be returned

Something you wanted to be when you were a kid: a veterinarian

Something you do that you never dreamed you’d do: teach a classroom full of people. I thought I’d die the first time I had to do this.

The funniest thing to happen to you: I was playing fake baseball on a diamond with my daughter and our border collie. She fake-pitched. I fake-hit and ran full tilt toward first base. The border collie ran in front of me and hit me and I face-planted in the dirt. I thought she was going to die laughing while I was trying to pick dirt out of my nose.

The most embarrassing thing to happen to you: I stood beside a man flashing himself at the fourth level elevator parking at Toronto Pearson Airport. I didn’t notice until I got in the elevator that IT was out. Then I tried to report him.

The coolest person you’ve ever met: Alan Thicke (I sang with him on a beach in Jamaica.)

The celebrity who didn’t look like he/she did in pictures/video: Valerie Harper (Rhoda from the Mary Tyler Moore show.) I weighed about 100 pounds and she was tinier that I me.

The nicest thing a reader said to you: My husband started reading again after your first book. Now he wants the rest of the series.

The craziest thing a reader said to you: How do you get away with writing LGBTQ books? My reply: What are you asking me?

The best job you ever had: Aboriginal Education Coordinator

The worst job you ever had: Aboriginal Education Coordinator

The one thing you cook/bake that is better than a restaurant dish: Indian Spiced Rice with Red Lentil Dahl

The one thing you cooked/baked that turned out to be an epic disaster: a cod chowder (yuk)

About W. L.:

W. L. Hawkin writes the kind of books she loves to read from her home in the Pacific Northwest. Because she’s a genre-blender, you might find crime, mystery, romance, suspense, fantasy, adventure, and even time travel, interwoven in her stories.

If you like “myth, magic, and mayhem” her Hollystone Mysteries feature a coven of West Coast witches who solve murders using ritual magic and a little help from the gods. The books—To Charm a Killer, To Sleep with Stones, To Render a Raven, To Kill a King, and To Dance with Destiny—follow Estrada, a free-spirited, bisexual magician and coven high priest as he endeavors to save his family and friends while sorting through his own personal issues.

Her standalone novel, Lure: Jesse & Hawk (2022) won a National Indie Excellence Award, a Gold Reader’s Choice award from Connections E-magazine, a Crowned Heart Review from InD’tale Magazine, and placed as a finalist in The UK Wishing Shelf Book Awards. Lure is a small-town romantic suspense story set on a Chippewa Reservation in the American Midwest near the fictional town of Lure River.

As an intuitive writer, Wendy captures what she sees and hears on the page, and allows her muses to guide her through the creative process. In an upcoming book, Writing with your Muse: a Guide to Creative Inspiration, she explains her writing process and offers tips and techniques to help writers get their words on the page.

The Giving Season

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We are smack dab in the middle of the holiday season, and I’m still wondering where June and July went. It’s been crazy busy here, but I’m trying to enjoy the holiday season. I took a minute to reflect on gifts as I was standing in the check-out line at Target (No, I don’t do self-check-out. I get the worst customer service.) I was thinking about the things I’d given over the years.

When my nieces were little, (much to the dismay of my BIL), I gave the girls a karaoke machine. I was the aunt who didn’t give practical gifts. I bought the flashy splashy outfits and shoes that mom wouldn’t normally buy. I also gave them a photo book each year. (Thank you, SnapFish. I no longer have to pull out the scrapbooking supplies.) When I moved out after college, I didn’t have that many pictures from my childhood, so I made the decision to give them a photo book with their yearly highlights. They’re all grown up now, and I got to make a wedding book this year.

Now that all the nieces and nephews (and their spouses) are awesome adult human beings, I struggle with what to get them. I don’t get to shop in the hot pink toy aisle or chase after Ninja Turtle or Power Rangers action figures anymore. I’ve kinda turned into the giftcard-giving aunt. This year, I did find something fun, and I hope they like it. Funko Pop (I am such a fan of their pop culture figurines.) had an offer to create your own one-of-a-kind character. Here are the ones that I had made for Stan and me. His holds a camera and a pickleball paddle. I have a bottle of poison and the skull of my enemy. (You can see why we’re such a match.)

My parents, grandparents, and extended family always made the holidays special and magical. I love the LiteBright, the Easy Bake Oven, my sparkly blue bike with the streamers, the bright orange ride-on Corvette, all the Barbie gear, and my first brand new car. Stan and I got a puppy once for Valentine’s Day.

The gifts are awesome, but the time with family and friends is the best. I hope you and yours take the time to share each other’s company and to make some new memories this season.

What’s the best gift you’ve ever given?

#ThisorThatThursday Author Interview with Kalee Boisvert

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I’d like to welcome Kalee Boisvert to the blog for #ThisorThatThursday!

A few of your favorite things: My kids, Starbucks, McDonald’s or just French fries in general, books, watching Real Housewives, and yummy smelling candles.

Things you need to throw out: Items that have accumulated in the dreaded “junk drawer,” also probably some expired food in the cupboards and fridge.

Things you need for your writing sessions: My chai tea latte with coconut milk, a creativity meditation, and my bed (where I do my writing).

Things that hamper your writing: Having my phone nearby, having my email open on my computer, and sleep deprivation (I have two little ones).

Hardest thing about being a writer: Sitting down and just getting started.

Easiest thing about being a writer: Writing down the random ideas as they come to you (making sense of how they will fit into what you are writing is the hard part).

Words that describe you: Empathetic, Introvert, Kind, Funny, Disciplined, and Driven

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

Favorite music or song: Empowering female artists – Taylor Swift and Beyonce, and “Under the Sea” sung by Sebastian the Crab in the Little Mermaid.

Music that drives you crazy: Country

Last best thing you ate: Sushi from a new spot.

Last thing you regret eating: Pizza (probably because I ate a slice too many)

The last thing you ordered online: Baby diapers and wipes (love that Amazon)

The last thing you regret buying: Another black hoodie (I probably should have opted for another color.)

Favorite places you’ve been: Tokyo, Paris, London, Disneyland

Places you never want to go to again: Disneyworld (sorry but Disneyland is definitely better)

Favorite books (or genre): Thrillers, and romance. And for Non-fiction – spiritual, business, and personal growth.

Books you wouldn’t buy: Cookbooks (I have accepted my inability to cook).

Best thing you’ve ever done: Become a mom

Biggest mistake: Dating before doing inner work on myself

The nicest thing a reader said to you: That my book felt like they were having an uplifting conversation with a friend.

The craziest thing a reader said to you: That there were too many dating references in my money book (I’m single so what can I say!)

About Kalee:

Kalee Boisvert has been in the financial industry for over 15 years, but her love of money started very young. Growing up in a single parent household, she watched her mom struggle with finances and wished there was something she could do to help. She also realized that she needed to find her own way to save and earn if she wasn’t going to allow her circumstances to define her. And so, her own journey into financial literacy and wealth management began.

To further her efforts supporting financial literacy, Kalee had two books released in 2023 – a children’s picture book called MoneyWise Mabel’s Bursting Bank, and a non-fiction book called Make Money Your Thing! Which aims to build confidence and empower people in their financial lives.

Let’s Be Social:

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/boisvertkalee

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kaleeboisvert

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

Book Make Money Your Thing! https://www.amazon.ca/Make-Money-Your-Thing-Design/dp/1738670287

What To Do With My Website...

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Many authors only update or overhaul their websites when they have a new book release, and this isn’t always frequent enough to keep readers coming back. Here some ideas for ways to generate visits to your site.

Blogs are good ways to have fresh content on your site and to encourage repeat visitors. I do guest author interviews on Wednesdays and Thursdays, and I post my new content each Friday. The guest interviews are a win-win for the author and me. They get the exposure to my readers, and they share my site with their fans.

Try to think of topics that appeal to your readers. Most of my Friday posts relate to writing or books. Do you have hobbies or job skills that your readers are interested in? Most blogs will let you embed videos for more interaction. The video content can be reused on Instagram or TikTok.

Add the links to your blog posts on your social media sites to drive traffic to your site. Twitter/X and Instagram are hashtag friendly, and this lets you highlight topics that appeal to a variety of readers. If your blog posts appeal to professionals, don’t forget to the share the links on LinkedIn.

I send out a quarterly newsletter with contests and updates. Inside, I also feature six or eight of the recent author interviews. This lets me recycle some content, and it provides more coverage for my guest authors.

Sometimes, it’s a good idea to spot check your webpages to ensure everything is current and working correctly. Here’s a quick check list of areas that may need updating:

  • Make sure your latest author photo is posted.

  • If you list events, verify that they are up to date.

  • Ensure that all your latest books appear on your site. If you have book club questions, make sure you have a set for each book.

  • Check all of your links to make sure they are working.

  • Review your biography and press kit.

Websites take some time to maintain, but it a valuable and the central part of your author platform.

#ThisorThatThursday Author Interview with Freddy Cruz

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I’m excited to welcome back author and podcaster, Freddy Cruz, to the blog for #ThisorThatThursday.

Things you never want to run out of: Coffee, toilet paper

Things you wish you’d never bought: Dessert after a big dinner (makes my clothes shrink)

Hardest thing about being a writer: Writing

Easiest thing about being a writer: Writing

Things you need for your writing sessions: Sanity

Things that hamper your writing: Lack of sanity

Something you’re really good at: Negative self-talk

Something you’re really bad at: Positive self-talk

Favorite smell: Lavender

Something that makes you hold your nose: Fish

The last thing you ordered online: Handheld camcorder

The last thing you regret buying: Candy

Things you’d walk a mile for: Coffee

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

Things to say to an author: Anything beginning with the words “you should have”

Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book: See answer above and realize it’s THE AUTHOR’S STORY. Not yours.

Favorite places you’ve been: Santa Rosa Beach

Places you never want to go to again: New Orleans

Favorite books (or genre): Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk, You by Caroline Kepnes, Can’t Hurt Me by David Goggins, The Gulag Archipelago by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

People you’d like to invite to dinner: Chuck Palahniuk, Alex Hormozi

People you’d cancel dinner on: American commies

Besides writing, what’s the most creative thing you’ve done: Helped a client with producing thirty-one straight podcast episodes for breast cancer awareness month.

A project that didn’t quite turn out the way you planned it: A shelved novel I thought would be the most amazing thing I ever wrote.

Some real-life story that made it to one of your books: My wife’s obsession with Hallmark Christmas movies and General Hospital made it into Allow Me to Ruin Your Christmas.

Something in your story that readers think is about you, but it’s not: AC’s story arc from They Canceled the DJ and/or Lex’s story arc from Allow Me to Ruin Your Christmas

About Freddy:

Freddy Cruz is a podcast host, author, and founder of Speke Podcasting, a podcast agency in the Greater Houston area. In his spare time, you can find him nose deep in a book, snuggling with his dog Sparrow, or jogging on the trail (trying hard to not sound like a horror movie villain).

Let’s Be Social:

FB/IG: @thefreddycruz