Author Interview with Brooke Williams

Brooke Williams

Plattsmouth, Nebraska

What have you written?

Full-length Novels:  Someone Always Loves You, Beyond the Bars, God in the Kitchen

Short Novels:  Taxi delivery, Mending Fences, Mending Hearts

Hundreds of blogs for GoodbyeCrutches.com and numerous other articles all over the internet.

What is your favorite genre to write?

I like dramatic fiction.  It could be a love story, a family drama, a thriller or something else.  As long as there is some sort of drama I'm happy writing it.

Favorite food.

Ice cream.  Chocolate.  Anything bad for you.

Where would you like to visit?

I've always wanted to go to Australia.  I love the accent and would already know the language when visiting.  Such a long plane ride, though.

Favorite musical artist.

Jars of Clay with Third Day as a close second.

What makes you laugh?

My four-year-old daughter... on a daily basis.  She comes up with the craziest things to say.  Sometimes they are almost logical, but hearing her say them just seems hilarious.

How old were you when you started writing?

I've been writing as long as I can remember.  There was a writing center in my elementary school.  We would write stories and the volunteers would type a sentence or two per page and then we would illustrate and bind them into books.  I have a couple dozen of those books.  I also used to write 'magazines' with a friend.  We would cut pictures out of real magazines and glue them into notebooks and write stories about that picture.

Where do you get your inspiration?

From all sorts of things around me.  I feel like I mainly get my inspiration from the story itself.  I'll have an idea and the characters and story lines bug me until I write them down.  I am inspired by situations or people around me as well that I fictionalize and change to create a story.  A lot of what I write are things I have experienced in some ways or another.  Course, there are plenty of story lines that I completely make up as well.  That's the great part about fiction!

What do you do when you get writer's block?

I don't know that I've ever had that.  My writing time is limited so I have to type as fast as I can! The characters lead me to where they want to go.  It might not always turn out well for the overall story, but that doesn't mean I'm going to let a little road block stop me!

Who is your favorite author?

I love Richard Paul Evans and Karen Kingsbury.  There are many others, but those two are probably my favorites.

Best book you ever read.

The Time Traveler's Wife.  It was such a puzzle for the author to put together.  I devoured it, though it was very long.

Who is the one person who has influences your personal life the most and why?

My mom is a huge influence on me and always has been.  She's the best mom anyone could ever have.  She has done everything for me and would do anything for me.  She has encouraged my writing over the years and anything else I've wanted to do.  SHe's more than a mom to me... she's my best friend.

If you could sit down and have a conversation with ONE person, living or dead, real or fictional, who would it be and why?

That's a hard one.  I think at this point I'd say my husband. Haha.  We have two young girls and I have found that we rarely get to talk anymore because one of them always needs something.  In order to communicate, we e-mail here and there because when we are together we forget what needs to be said.  Actually, sitting down and talking to him would be a luxury.

What advice would you give to someone who aspired to be a writer?

Just write.  Forget about what everyone says and just sit down and do it.  If you feel it needs to be written, write it.  I have heard every piece of writing advice under the sun and when I hear one thing, I read a book that does just what that person told e NOT to do.  There are rules in grammar and the overall English language, but there is no rule as to how a book should be written.  Your book is just that,your book and long as you are happy with it, it is how it should be.  There are a lot of discouraging words out there but if you write for your own enjoyment and forget the naysayers, you will see your writing flourish.

Do you have any covers to share with us?

Links:


Author Facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/AuthorBrookeWilliams

Author website (not yet available yet, but in the works)
AuthorBrookeWilliams.com

online
http://www.amazon.com/Someone-Always-Loved-You-ebook/dp/B004H8GBYK/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1370716976&sr=1-1&keywords=someone+always+loved+you

hard copy
http://www.lulu.com/shop/brooke-golliher/someone-always-loved-you/paperback/product-20447265.html

online
http://www.amazon.com/TAXI-DELIVERY-ebook/dp/B00CZ6S7NO/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1370520932&sr=1-1&keywords=taxi+delivery

online
http://www.amazon.com/God-In-The-Kitchen-ebook/dp/B00D06YH5U/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1370520900&sr=1-1&keywords=god+in+the+kitchen

hard copy
http://www.amazon.com/Small-Town-America-Gregory-Humphrey/dp/1619900025/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1370520964&sr=1-1-fkmr1&keywords=small+rown+america+chainbooks

online
http://www.amazon.com/Beyond-the-Bars-ebook/dp/B00D91E788/ref=sr_1_7?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1370716863&sr=1-7&keywords=beyond+the+bars

online
http://www.amazon.com/MENDING-FENCES-ebook/dp/B00DCT9LRE/ref=sr_1_4?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1371124149&sr=1-4&keywords=mending+fences

Author Interview with Rachel Raithby

Rachel Raithby

Queensland, Australia

What have you written? 

So far I’ve written Lexia, which is book 1 in The Deadwood Hunter Series, I have many other projects on the go too!

What is your favorite genre to write? 

Fantasy/Paranormal

Favorite food. 

I love fancy food but it would have to be any kind of chocolate desert.

Where would you like to visit? 

America especially New York at Christmas.

Favorite musical artist. 

Taylor Swift 

Do you listen to music when you write? 

Sometimes  

What? 

I listened to Radio Active by Imagine Dragons a lot whilst writing the fight scenes in LEXIA.

What makes you laugh? 

I have a wicked sense of humor like my Dad and Gram, so whenever I’m with them we are always in fits of giggles.

How old were you when you started writing? 

Twenty five

Where do you get your inspiration?

Books, travelling, life.

What do you do when you get a writer's block? 

Have a glass or two of wine or Vodka!

Who is your favorite author?

Nalini Singh

Best book you ever read. 

So hard! I’ve read so many good books, probably Harry Potter and The Deathly Hollows, the battle in the school was just amazing.

Who is the one person who has influenced your personal life the most and why? 

My Husband Richard, he has always had a belief that if you want something bad enough and work hard enough, anything is possible. I’m the kind of person that has a lot of self doubt and he pushes me to believe in myself.

If you could sit down and have a conversation with ONE person, living or dead, real or fictional, who would it be and why?

That’s a really hard question but if it could be anyone, it would have to be my gram, Dot. She’s still alive and well! But she lives in the UK and I live in Aus now, so I hardly ever get to see her, so if I could just magically transport myself to one person it would be her. We’d have a cup of tea and put the worlds to rights, my gram is the type of person that always smiles and finds the good in any situation no matter how bleak it seems. I miss her every day.

What advice would you give someone who aspired to be a writer? 

Just go for it! Write as much as you can, it’s the only way to grow as a writer, and believe in yourself. Anything is possible if you put your mind to it.

AUTHOR LINKS

https://www.facebook.com/RachelMRaithby

www.rachelmraithby.com

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7123176.Rachel_M_Raithby

LEXIA BOOK LINKS

http://www.amazon.com/Lexia-Deadwood-Hunter-Series-ebook/dp/B00E4PKJ8K/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1374740927&sr=8-2&keywords=lexia+the+deadwood+hunter

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Lexia-Deadwood-Hunter-Series-ebook/dp/B00E4PKJ8K/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1374741066&sr=8-2&keywords=LEXIA+THE+DEADWOOD+HUNTER

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18042455-lexia

Also available at SmashWords, Kobo, B&N

LEXIA THE DEADWOOD HUNTER 

When Lexia sneaks out one night to go to a party, she hardly expects to be attacked by vampires. Mush less be able to kill them with her bare hands.

That night triggers events Lexia can’t escape and soon she struggles to keep up a façade around her friends and family.

And then there’s Lincoln; she finds herself irresistibly drawn to him. But Lexia senses he wants something more dangerous than a simple romance.

Lincoln has secrets and what she learns changes her life forever.

A story of love, loss and betrayal, only one thing is certain, Lexia and Lincoln’s lives will never be the same again.

Author Interview with Wendy Jay

Wendy Jay

Groveton, NH

What have you written?

Another Man’s Treasure

What is your favorite genre to write?

Romance/erotica

Favorite food.

Oh, it has to be pizza!

Where would you like to visit?

Italy, England, Florida J

Favorite musical artist.

Nickelback and 80s music

Do you listen to music when you write?

No…tv yes J  What?

What makes you laugh?

Good comedy, sarcasm

How old were you when you started writing?

Started writing when I was in elementary school

Where do you get your inspiration?  

From my imagination

What do you do when you get a writer's block?

Take a break for a day or two…just re-read what I have written.

Who is your favorite author?

James Patterson

Best book you ever read.

Omg, no clue!  Too many to choose from!

Who is the one person who has influenced your personal life the most and why?

My sister, Jennifer.  She is my confidant and giggle partner.

If you could sit down and have a conversation with ONE person, living or dead, real or fictional, who would it be and why?  

Wow, only one?   I would love to meet and feel the blood lust of a vampire.  I think it would expand my knowledge of erotica.

What advice would you give someone who aspired to be a writer?

Just write..Edit later.

Links…   http://www.facebook.com/WendyJayAuthor

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7103509.Wendy_Jay

http://www.amazon.com/Wendy-Jay/e/B00DBLGHGQ/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

Her new novel, Undiscovered Treasure is slated to be released at the end of August 2013.  It is the sequel to Another Man’s Treasure.

This week on Vision and Verse

This Week on Vision and Verse

       Mon., Aug. 5     Author Interview with Wendy Jay

       Tues., Aug. 6     Author Interview with Rachel Raithby

       Wed., Aug. 7     Author Interview with Brooke William

       Thurs., Aug. 8   Excerpt from LORD OF BLAKELEY

       Fri., Aug. 9       Waiting for Richard, Time After Time series

       Sat., Aug 10      Excerpt from BELTERRA  

RENE FRANCOIS GHISLAIN MAGRITTE

Belgian artist, Rene Magritte, was born November 21, 1898 to a tailor and textile merchant father and housewife mother.  He was the oldest of the family children who began drawing lessons at the age of 12.  Little else is known about his childhood.

In 1912, his mother committed suicide, causing the family tremendous public humiliation, having made several failed attempts in the past.  Soon after, Magritte began painting and by 1915 he'd completed his first impressionist painting.  For the next two years he studied at the Academie Royale de Beaux Arts in Brussels.  Thinking it a waste of time, he left the school.  Magritte's paintings at this point were representative of the popular movements of the time, namely cubism and futurism.

In 1921 Magritte enlisted in the military and served in Leopoldsburg, Austria, and Antwerp.  Leaving the service a year later he married childhood friend, Georgette Berger.  His first job was with a wallpaper factory, designing posters and advertisements for the company.  He sold his first art work, a portrait of singer Evelyn Brelin, in 1923.  This opened the door to a contract at Galerie la Centaure, making him a full time artist.

Magritte's work now began reflecting his ideals as opposed to the popular movement of the time.  Many associate his work with Surrealism, the movement where reality and imagination are fused together, confusing the viewers and forcing one to contemplate the image.

Rene's first exhibition in 1927 in Brussels turned out to be a flop.  The critics hated all 61 pieces in the show.  He moved to Paris with his wife where he befriended artists in the French community.  Not long there, he moved back to Brussels and returned to work in the wallpaper factory.

The period between 1943 - 1944  brought a change in Magritte's work, reflecting the influence of impressionist painter Auguste Renoir.  It was WWII and times were tough and to survive he resorted to forging copies of works by Picasso, Braque, and Chirico, which he sold to the Germans.  After the war he returned to creating Surrealist art.  One of his noted works at this time, "The Promenades of Euclid", he painted in 1955.  It is a painting within a painting which tricks the viewer's eye into seeing it as just one image.

He once said of his paintings, "I paint visible images that conceal nothing, they evoke mystery, and indeed when one sees my pictures one asks oneself the simple question, 'What does it mean?'  It doesn't mean anything because mystery means nothing either, it is unknowable."

Rene Magritte's most recognizable work, painted in 1964, is titled "The Son of Man."  This iconic painting features a man in a bowler hat and suit, with a green apple in front of his face.  What does it mean?  Like Magritte said, "It is unknowable."  Magritte died in Brussels on August 15, 1967, of pancreatic cancer.

Image above, "The Son of Man"  1964, by Rene Francois Ghislain Magritte.

Excerpt from BENTLEY SQUARE

Chapter Three

Destiny at the Diner

At lunchtime, Becca decided she needed some air and just wanted to get out of the office.  The sun was shining.  The sky was a beautiful shade of blue.  The air was crisp and clean after a morning rain.  She walked down the street, passed the new Italian restaurant.  She was drawn into Sullivan’s diner.  She hadn’t been in the diner in years.  She and her father used to come here for lunch when she first starting working at Bentley Square.  The diner was busy.

“Rebecca, is that you?  How are you?  Good to see you.”

“Hello, Mr. Sullivan.  It’s good to see you, too.  I’m fine.  You?”

“Good, good.”

“And sweet Mrs. Sullivan?”

“She’s good, honey.  She’s making peach pies today.  I don’t see you down this way any more.”

“The Boss doesn’t let me out too often, but we DO order take-out.”

“Yes, I know.  The Boss likes my Reuben sandwich.  Tell him I said hi, honey.”

“I will.”

She sat in a small booth by the window and ordered a turkeysandwich and a black coffee.  Across the street in one of the old, falling apart buildings was an agency she never heard of.  It looked dark and gloomy, a sad place to work.  Bad vibrations.

“Excuse me,” she tapped the man behind her in the next

booth on the shoulder, “How long has that agency been there?  I’ve worked downtown for years now, and I’ve never heard of it.  It seems a little depressing.  What is it, Fusco’s?”  He turned around.  It was HIM, her ‘Richard’!

“Ah, I, well, hello there!”  He felt an odd mix of shock, fate,

and sheer delight.  He felt she was close, but certainly not THIS close!  “Fusco’s?  It’s an advertising agency.  Its small, old, unassuming.  It’s been there for twenty-five years.  Depressing?  Oh, yes, you could say that.  I work there.  I’ve been there… for five years now.  I’m… I’m the office manager.  Ah… I’m Mark, Mark Ramsey.  I’m, ah, so pleased to finally get to meet you… after all the times I’ve… ah, seen you at the station and… wanted to…”  He extended his hand.  Oh, God, he was acting like a complete idiot, he thought to himself.  Just shut the hell up, he advised himself.

Becca was elated.  He was so warm.  He was very familiar to

her, she knew him.  So, her Richard’s name was Mark.  He didn’t strike her as a Mark.  But Mark was a nice name, a good name.  Mark.  She shook his hand.  No, not shook, more like caressed it.  Tingle.  She held on to it.  Oh, great hand, nice, well-proportioned, big, nice strong grip.  She didn’t want to let go.  And a very nice lower lip!  That wonderful voice, it spoke to her without words.  That was the voice she heard, calling to her, talking to her, saying things like “I’m here,” and “Find me,” and “Hello, Sweetheart.”  She thought the sound of it was absolutely mesmerizing.  She wanted to hear more of it.

“Hello, Mark,” she smiled at him. “I’m Becca.  Would you care

to join me?”  He couldn’t believe his good luck!  He brought his coffee over and sat across from her.  He thought she was even more beautiful up close.  And she had such a lovely voice, not high-pitched or gooey, but pleasant, calm, silken, and so soothing.

“I looked for you at the station this morning, Mark, but I

didn’t see you.”

Wow!  She looked for him, and she admitted it, he thought. 

He looked at her left hand.  No wedding ring.  No engagement ring.  For a day that started so badly for him, it just kept getting better and better.  Early this morning Mr. Fusco threatened to fire him for his lackluster performance and poor leadership qualities.  He called him pitiful and worthless.  And everybody heard. 

“I had an early meeting with my boss to discuss my semi-

annual job performance evaluation today.  I would have much rather been at the station looking at you looking for me.  You work near here, too?”

“Yes, at Bentley Square,” she giggled.

“That damn mighty bastard of Bentley Square, Carlton

Robbins, just bought my apartment building and is going to tear it down.  In less than three weeks.  I just can’t believe he’s giving us less than three weeks notice before he throws us all out on the street to fight for the few remaining city apartments, slum spots actually.”

“You live at the Comstock?”

 “Yes”

“Oh, Mark!  I’m so sorry.”

“No, no, I’m the one who’s sorry,” he said softly,

apologetically.  “Here I am ranting on and on about the Comstock, when I’m sitting here with such a beautiful woman.  One I’ve been hoping to meet… no, no, longing to meet for a very long time now!  What on earth is the matter with me?” he said, looking down, shaking his head.

“Not a thing,” she smiled, flirting with him.  He looked up and

blushed.  Stay still, don’t reach for her, don’t scare her off, he said to himself, and whatever the hell you do, don’t you leap across this table and kiss her!  Breathe.  Go slow.