IN MEMORY OF KIEL KAGAN

It is with great sadness that I post the last art works of artist Kiel Kagan, my friend, partner, and love.  His brilliantly shining light was diminished far too soon, his contribution to the world of art, cut short.

Kiel was an amazing man and it's hard for me to express how much I miss him.  He had a lust for life that shone through in his art.  He was a vibrant personality and loved making people happy.  Art was his passion and he loved telling me of his ideas for his next project...his eyes lighting up as he included me in that passion.

He was my soul mate, my friend, and a true child at heart.  In all the years I'd known him, I'd never seen him without a bright, cheery smile adorning his handsome face.  He was an uncomplicated man with a simple, easy approach to life.  He lived everyday as a new adventure.

There will never be another like Kiel, so I celebrate his life by taking time to smell the roses, living in the moment, and making each day an adventure.  I know that he is riding the rest of my life with me in my heart.

                Kiel Kagan  03/03/77  -  09/30/13

Images above, clockwise from top right,  "Blue,Black,Yellow"  acrylic on canvas, 6' x 9', "On The Bias", acrylic on canvas, 6' x 8',  "Rough Red", acrylic on canvas, 5' x 7',  "White Stripe on Squares",  acrylic on canvas, 5' x 9'..   All works by Kiel Kagan 2013.

Interview with author Alexander Kavalier

ALEXANDER KAVALIER
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND   UK

Good morning, Alexander.  Welcome to the US.  We are happy to have you here with us this morning.  Tell us, what have you written? 
Two horror shorts in the “DESCENT INTO DARKNESS SERIES” these are “MEANT” and my most recent story, “A LIVING GHOST.  Meant is already available now, see links.
A Living Ghost, will be released on 15th October. My release party is on https://www.facebook.com/events/209600725880464/ and there are lots of freebies up for grabs!
Meant, is about a young girl, who tragically believes she is the heroine of her own story and filtered by her delusions goes to ‘save’ her prince charming from the ‘wicked witch’. You are taken through Clarissa’s mind and watch as she justifies and rationalizes each moment up until the gruesome end.
A Living Ghost, follows jack’s tragic end to his life and how he then become a poltergeist. He goes from a happy young boy, and descends into darkness (as the series title states), we watch his progress, see him between worlds and move along with him until he gets his revenge.

What is your favorite genre to write?
I write both horror and poetry, it has often been said I have the soul of the poet and the mind of the devil. I love horror as it is cathartic and you can push the boundaries, but I adore poetry as you can express yourself and flow with the words, it is very freeing.


Favorite food.
Pizza

Where would you like to visit?
I would love to travel, I’ve always wanted to go to America.

Yes, come.  We're a hoot!  Favorite musical artist.
Probably Eminem, he is quite poetic yet angry, it is an interesting mix, I can relate.

Do you listen to music when you write?  If so what?
No, I am far too easily distracted. I have to be in quiet with tea and chocolate on standby.

What makes you laugh?
Everything that shouldn’t, I have a warped sense of humor.

Oh, you are our kind of guy!  How old were you when you started writing?
Well school when I was forced to, but it was my late teens that I was told I had a talent and I began experimenting.

Where do you get your inspiration?
Real life, I write horror, I have often said to my publisher that I read worse horror stories in a woman’s gossip magazine, but of course they are full of abuse topics I would rather not touch.

What do you do when you get a writer's block?
Scream. I have wrote a file on this in my authors group –
https://www.facebook.com/notes/titan-all-authors-connecting/titan-tips-dealing-with-writers-block/708111535883964
As it seemed to be a common problem with many of my friends at the time, the tips in there are from my university professor, mixed with my time from working in a writing development agency and life experience when it has happened to me.

Who is your favorite author?
Dennis Wheatley, he set me on my path.

Best book you ever read.
I couldn’t name one, there are too many.

Who is the one person who has influenced your personal life the most and why?
My mother, she is a force to be reckoned with and has kept me and my siblings in check where we could have easily followed the herd and ended up in some bad situation. She taught me to have my own mind, strange though it is.

If you could sit down and have a conversation with ONE person, living or dead, real or fictional, who would it be and why?
Hades, from Greek mythology. He overthrew his father only to be tricked by his own brothers and live in the underworld, I have always thought he would be a brilliant person/character to meet.

What advice would you give someone who aspired to be a writer?
Don’t wait, start writing. I made excuses at first and it was all just fear, I would write but not show people, then when I did I put myself down, with age and experience my confidence has grown, but if it’s something you love then trust in yourself, I believe in gut instincts and if yours is telling you that you are a writer, then get writing.

Links?
Facebook personal – https://www.facebook.com/alexander.kavalier
Author page – https://www.facebook.com/pages/A-Kavalier/669991109682496
Twitter – https://twitter.com/ARKavalier

MEANT
Amazon
USA - http://www.amazon.com/Meant-Alexander-Kavalier/dp/1492711047
UK - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Meant-ebook/dp/B00F51WYSK
Smashwords
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/356829
CANADA, INDIGO
http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/meant/9990006710076-item.html
WHSMITH
http://www.whsmith.co.uk/products/meant/product/1230000180678

Interview with Author Bryan Alaspa

Bryan W. Alaspa

Chicago, IL

Good morning, Bryan, welcome to Vision and Verse.  We're happy to have you here with us.What have you written? 

I have written over 20 books and novels. My full list is here:

Non-Fiction:

Ghosts of St. Louis: The Lemp Mansion and Other Eerie Tales

Chicago Crime Stories: Rich Gone Wrong

Chicago Disasters

Forgotten Tales of Illinois

Silas Jayne: Chicago’s Suburban Gangster

Sabotage: A Chronicle of the Chesterton Crash

Chicago’s Unsolved Mysteries

Fiction:

The Ballad of the Blue Denim Gang

The Vanished Child

Dust

RIG: A Novel of Terror

Sin-Eater: Part One

Sin-Eater: Part Two - Destiny

MYTHOS: A Thriller

After the Snowfall

The Dead Phone

One Against Many

Vicious: A Novel of Suspense

Sapphire: A Paranormal Romance

Collections:

Stories (a collection of short stories)

Why Hockey Sucks and Other Random Thoughts (a collection of essays)

Flashpoint: A Collection of Curious Beginnings and Endings

 

Wow!  That's an impressive list.  What is your favorite genre to write? 

My first love was horror and I tend to write in the horror, thriller, suspense genres. I just love a story that keeps readers on the edge of their seat or scared out of their minds.

Favorite food. 

These days I am a sushi fanatic!

Where would you like to visit? 

I have always dreamed of visiting Australia, but the long plane ride scares me to death.

Good premise for a horror story.  Favorite musical artist. 

Pink Floyd and Peter Himmelman  Do you listen to music when you write? Yes What? I tend to listen to a lot of classic rock.

What makes you laugh?

I am easy to get to laugh. I am particularly fond of British humor, and anything that is just really silly.

Well, you fit right in with us.  Parker and I love a good laugh, or a bad laugh.How old were you when you started writing? 

I sat down and wrote my first story when I was in the third grade and sat down at my mom’s electric typewriter. I began writing seriously and on a professional level in 2006.

Where do you get your inspiration? 

 A store down the street from my house. It is hard to say. It comes from something I see, something in the news, something someone says, or just from that mythical “someplace” inside my mind.

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

I am very lucky and it rarely happens to me. I am always working on multiple stories, so if one stalls out I work on another one for a time and then things usually sort out.

Who is your favorite author? 

Stephen King. Blake Crouch. Joe Hill.

Best book you ever read.

Probably The Stand with Blake Crouch’s RUN a very close second.

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

 It is hard to say. I think the person who influences me the most these days is my wife Melanie. She is the person who is my biggest cheerleader, toughest editor and critic and biggest fan.

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

 Stephen King. I think we could talk a lot about baseball as I am also a big fan. I’d also just love to talk about writing with him.

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

Keep writing. Always keep writing. Never stop and never let anyone tell you to stop. You don’t have to make a living at it, and these days with so many outlets to self-publish you can still get your work out there. It takes a lot of time to get good, and I still learn new things. 

Links:

My newest novel is a Young Adult novel called Sapphire. It is a Paranormal Romance. 

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Sapphire-A-Paranormal-Romance-ebook/dp/B00EX73K5I/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1378582749&sr=1-1&keywords=Alaspa

Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sapphire-bryan-alaspa/1116811898?ean=2940148805090

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/353375

My website: http://www.bryanwalaspa.com

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

Twitter: twitter.com/bryanalaspa

Google+: https://plus.google.com/105209486997528753241/posts

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/980556.Bryan_Alaspa

Cover?

Thank you for being with us, Bryan.  Come back again.

PHOTOGRAPHER EDIANNE KANNADY

Several years ago I had the pleasure of meeting an amazing landscape photographer.  Edianne Kannady is a corporate marketing specialist by day and moonlights as a "just-for-fun"  shutterbug.  She has quite an eye for capturing nature's stunning beauty in panoramic photos.  Recently I sat down with Edianne for the delightful interview below.

PK:     "Welcome to Vision & Verse, Edianne. It was very gracious of you to accept our
           invitation for an interview."

EK:     "Thank you, it's wonderful to be here and to see you again...and please call me
            Edi."

PK:     "Ok, would you tell our readers how you got involved in photography?"

EK:     "Sure, it all kind of came together after a vacation many years ago.  I fell in love
           with the landscapes of Yosemite National Park.  I had a simple film camera that
           took pretty decent pictures.  I had some of those enlarged and framed and the
           next thing I knew the photo bug had bitten me and I bought a nicer camera and
           here I am."

PK:     "I notice that your panoramas are characteristically simple compositions.  Is that
           deliberate?"

EK:     "Actually yes.  After taking hundreds of photos, I found that the less "clutter"
           in a picture the more you're able to appreciate the real beauty of the shot.  In
           this case, less really is more."

PK:     "Your photos are fabulous and quite popular with those who know your work, but
          you've refrained from taking them public.  Why is that?"

EK:     "They say I'm crazy, but my photography is very personal to me.  It's my world
           to escape into.  As meditation is personal to one who practices it, that's how I
           view my photos.  Now, I'm not completely selfish (laughing).  I do give my
           photos as gifts to family and friends....in fact I think you possess one or two of
           them."

PK:     "Yes I do.  One of them is featured with this interview..  Is there any one place that
           you've photographed that you would consider your favorite?"

EK:     "That's a tough one, but I really love the uncomplicated terrain of the Great
           Salt Lake and the Grand Canyon.  The vastness, the sheer size, both are so
           fascinating to shoot."

PK:     "Ok Edi, this is where we switch gears and torture our interviewees with silly
           questions.

EK:     "OMG....sounds like fun."

PK:     "What do you like to do outside of your job and your photography?"

EK:     "Sleep!! (laughing)  I really like to make candy, you know, like that rock candy.
            There's something cathartic about smashing it into little pieces."  (laughing)

PK:     "And what do you dislike or avoid doing?"

EK:     "Oh god, I hate, hate, hate, cleaning the bathroom?"

PK:     "Who is your favorite photographer?"

EK:     "Me!  (laughing)  no, seriously, I love Annie Liebovitz."

PK:     "Who influenced your life most?"

EK:     "My dad.  I watched him struggle through hard times, losing his job, and doing
           whatever he could to provide for his family.  I put that determination into
           everything that I do."

PK:     "Ok, now the lightning round of one-word answers.  Which do you prefer?
           Coffee or tea?"

EK:     "Coffee."

PK:     "Dogs or cats?"

EK:     "Dogs."

PK:     "Drive or fly?"

EK:     "Drive."

PK:     "London or Paris?"

EK:     "Paris."

PK:     "Winter or summer?"

EK:     "Summer....up north.  (laughing)

PK:     "Bounty or Brawny?"

EK:     "OMG....Brawny."

PK:     "E-mail or Snail mail?"

EK:     "E-mail."

PK:     "Action flick or Romantic Comedy?"

EK:     "Action flick."

PK:     "Name and author of the last book you read?"

EK:     "Life After Life: A Novel,  by Kate Atkinson."

PK:     "What words do you live by?"

EK:     "I don't take myself too seriously, I don't sweat the small stuff, and I turn
           everything I do into an adventure."

PK:     "Any final words of wisdom for our readers?"

EK:     "Just find your passion in life and live it to the fullest."

PK:     "Thank you Edi, it's been a delight having you here with us.  We're looking
           forward to seeing your future photos.  Much success in all that you do."

EK:     "Thank you so much.....can we do this again real soon?"  (laughing)

                                                                  Edianne Kannady

                     Panorama image above, "Ayers Rock, Austrailia,  by Edianne Kannady

Interview with Author Alissa Callen

Alissa Callen

 NSW, Australia

Good morning, Alissa.  Welcome to Vision and Verse, the place for Art and Authors.  It's good to have you here with us all the way from Australia.  Now, tell us.What have you written?

Two books. Beneath Outback Skies, Random House Australia, and What Loves Sounds Like, Escape Publishing. 

What is your favorite genre to write? 

Rural romance. I enjoy writing stories that are heart-warming, emotional and character driven.

Favorite food.

Scones, raspberry jam and fresh whipped cream.

Where would you like to visit? 

Anywhere!! Just love travelling to new towns, new areas and new countries. 

Favorite musical artist.  

U2

Do you listen to music when you write?  

Yes, depending on the scene or how quickly my edits need doing it will be a fast or slow tempo song.

What makes you laugh? 

My four kids.

How old were you when you started writing?

In my late thirties. I still had a baby and toddler at home and had the crazy idea I’d have ‘time’ to write. 

Where do you get your inspiration? 

From all around me. I live on a small slice of rural Australia that provides plenty of material for my books, whether it is the brown snake at my back door or the bush fire in our front paddock last summer. 

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

Go for a walk with the dogs and talk to myself.

Who is your favorite author?

Louis LÁmour

Best book you ever read? 

The iconic Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.

Who is the one person who has influenced your personal life the most and why? My long-suffering and patient husband who always gives me a reason to smile.

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

It would be my current heroine in my new rural. I’d love to find out why she isn’t happy to follow my plot!

What advice would you give someone who aspired to be a writer? To read. To write. To keep trying. And to never lose sight of why you do what you do.

Thanks so much for having me☺

It was our pleasure, Alissa.  Please come back again.

Beneath Outback Skies

               

Book blurb:  

Paige Quinn will let nothing and no one distract her from caring for her wheelchair-bound father, Connor, and fighting for her remote, drought-stricken property, Banora Downs. Least of all a surprise farm-stay guest named Tait Cavanaugh, whose smooth words are as lethal as his movie-star smile. Except Paige can’t help noticing that, for a city-boy, Tait seems unexpectedly at home on the land. And he does ask a lot of questions…It doesn’t matter how much he helps out or how much laughter he brings into her life, she soon suspects he is harboring a big secret – the real reason he has come to Banora Downs…

Link?

Book link: http://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/alissa-callen/beneath-outback-skies-9780857980397.aspx

What Love Sounds Like

Book blurb:

Outback speech pathologist, Mia Windsor, believes her morning from hell is over.  Then suited-up city-boy Kade Reid strides into her office and announces  he and his wide-eyes niece are the clients that she will be living with for the fortnight.

Kade Reid adheres to a single edict — money is as important as breathing. But when he becomes an instant father to four-year-old Tilly, he escapes to the only place he was allowed to be a child...the family property of Berrilea.

As Mia and Kade work together to help Tilly overcome her speech delay, can they face their fears in order to give Tilly the family she so desperately needs?

Links?

Book link: http://www.escapepublishing.com.au/product/9780857990129

Face book page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Alissa-Callen-Author/355366704552838

Website:  www.alissacallen.com

Interview with Author Joey Paul

Joey Paul

Swindon, UK

Welcome, Joey!  It's a pleasure to have you here on Vision and Verse, a blog about Art and Authors.  You've been a very busy girl!   Tell us what have you written? 
I have written nearly twelve books so far, well, I’m working on 11 and 12 right now. I have had six published through my own indie label – Bug Books – and plan to release one a year. My seventh book will be out in June/July 2014. My first book – BLACKOUT – was released in August 2005 as a paperback and then under my own label in February 2011, alongside my second book DYING THOUGHTS – FIRST TOUCH as e-books. Since then I have had the second & third in the Dying Thoughts series released and two other standalone books – THE FRIENDSHIP TRIANGLE and LYNNE & HOPE. The next book to be released with also be a standalone book in the young adult romance genre.

What is your favorite genre to write? 
I mostly write the crime/mystery genre for young adults. I have dabbled in romance, friendship, supernatural and a few others, but my main genre is crime/mystery. I always write young adult fiction.

I was truly taken with LYNNE & HOPE.  It was nothing like what I thought it would be. Great story! What is your favorite food? 
I love lasagna when my carer and best friend makes it, but I also love my mum’s macaroni and cheese too!

Where would you like to visit? 
Right now I’d love to be able to go over to the US to see my significant other, Scott who lives in Kansas. In general, I would love to visit Hawaii and also go on a long distance train ride – one that lasts for a few days.

Favorite musical artist.  Do you listen to music when you write?  What?
I have a lot of favourite songs and artists. I love Phil Collins and I love Busted – who were a UK band that broke up in 2005 – I don’t listen to music every time I write, but I do sometimes and it’s usually a mix of songs from people like Plain White T’s, Simple Plan, Busted, John Barrowman…a whole bunch make it onto my “writing” playlist.

What makes you laugh?
I love to laugh and I’ll laugh at a lot of things from when my eight year old goddaughter tries to make up her own jokes (they are always very bad ones!) or watching a TV show. Talking with friends about various things will usually get a smile from me, but I don’t generally like to laugh at the expense of others, if you know what I mean.

                                                 How old were you when you started writing?
I was thirteen when I put pen to paper and decided to write a story. However, it wasn’t until I was nineteen and retired from my job on medical grounds that I became a serious writer.

Where do you get your inspiration?
Oh all over the place! Some of it comes from reading, some of it comes from dreams, some comes from talking with people and some comes from the deep dark recesses of my brain and I couldn’t explain how they got there!

What do you do when you get a writer's block?
I try to work through it and if that doesn’t work, then I take a break and come back to it with a fresh pair of eyes and see if I can get through what’s blocking me. I usually find that once I get started again, I’m okay, it’s just the getting started that’s the issue!

Who is your favorite author?
That’s another hard one. I love Harlan Coben, Sue Grafton, Kathy Reichs, Karin Slaughter and Sophie Kinsella. It’s hard to pick one! The ones I will read everything they write are Harlan Coben and Sue Grafton so I guess they are more favourite than the others!
Best book you ever read. This is actually an easier one, but it’s a non-fiction books. It’s called “Life Disrupted: Getting Real about Chronic Illness in your Twenties and Thirties” by Laurie Edwards. I have been chronically ill for most of my life and this book just spoke to me, it was like reading about my own life and gave me hope that I could move forward.


Who is the one person who has influenced your personal life the most and why?
I would have to say two people. One is my best friend, B. When I got sick at 19, I had no job and no permanent place to live. I was depressed and felt like I would never feel like “me” again. We’ve been friends since we were 13 so going on 18 years now. She pushed me on to my writing path and she also became my carer when I could no longer manage on my own. She moved in with me and looked after me for no other reason than she was my best friend. She is also my cover artist and never ceases to amaze me how she can create something so like what I have in my head.
The other person is B’s eight year old, Miss D, I was there when she was born and I’m her “Aunty Joey”. As she grows older she changes her mind about what she wants to be when she grows up – a fireman, a vet, a doctor etc. She recently decided she wanted to be an artist like her mum and a writer like me. She inspires me to get out of bed in the morning when the pain is awful and I just feel horrible. All it takes is a cuddle from her and the words “I love you” and I feel so much better. She’s shown me that no matter how ill and disabled I get, I’m good enough, I’m her Aunty Joey and nothing is going to change that.

If you could sit down and have a conversation with ONE person, living or dead, real or fictional, who would it be and why?
Either Dr Gregory House because I have some undiagnosed issues and would like to know what is causing them. They have a big impact on my life and I’d like some answers. Or, Harlan Coben, he’s a big name in the crime/mystery genre and has recently branched into young adult and I’d like to just sit with him, have some tea and just talk writing without any pressure.

                                            What advice would you give someone who aspired to be a writer?
Don’t give up. You will be rejected. You will be told your writing isn’t good enough, but don’t let that stop you. Keep going and keep writing, you will get there even if you have to go indie and do it yourself. I believe everyone has at least one good book inside of them, so keep trying to find the story inside of you.

Links?
Amazon Page: http://www.amazon.co.uk/-/e/B007FXH8LE
Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/BugBooks
Blog/Website: http://www.joeypaulonline.com/

Thank you, Joey, for the lovely interview.  You are a remarkable person and an inspiration to all of us.  We wish you much success in all your endeavors.  Please come back when Book Eleven comes out and we'll do a Cover Reveal for you.

P.S.  For a Book Review of Joey Paul's LYNNE & HOPE, please go back to the September 26, 2013 entry here on Vision and Verse

Interview with Author E.A. Monroe

E.A. Monroe 

Norman, Oklahoma

Cover of "Fortune's Hostage"

Good morning, Elizabeth.  Welcome to Vision and Verse.  I love your Facebook Author Page.  It is very beautiful.  SO tell us, what have your written?
Written in Omen, Book 1 in the Voice of the Wind: Shadows of Time and Fortune’s Hostage, Book 2 in the series.  I’m working on the edits for Cursed in Love, Book 3 in the Voice of the Wind series. I’m also almost finished writing a novel that’s set in Oklahoma City in 1931. It’s about two orphan sisters (ages 11 and 5) who have run away from an orphanage and have joined up with a gang other kids who are living on the streets. I’ve had a blast writing it as the story was inspired by a childhood incident and a dream that I had years later.

What is your favorite genre to write?
I don’t write in any particular genre, so I just categorize my writing as literary fiction, but it usually incorporates a little from every genre.

And what is your favorite food?
Desserts! No, I like any kind of fruits — watermelon, cantaloupe, apples, pears. Mexican and Chicken.

Where would you like to visit?
The Pacific or Atlantic Oceans. I would love to visit the Pacific Northwest, Alaska, Scotland and Ireland.

Favorite musical artist?
Sting is my favorite musical artist. I also like Florence and the Machine. When writing, listening to music is often too distracting, especially if there are lyrics. My mind starts wandering off on story ideas. I love listening to various movie scores or classical composers like Gustav Mahler when I write — anything that doesn’t have lyrics. My husband plays guitar and other music instruments, so when he’s in his music room working on composing a song I listen to his guitar music.

What makes you laugh?
Anything might tickle my funny bone — old I Love Lucy and Andy Griffith episodes. Anything off the wall. My son enjoys doing impersonations and “voices.” The antics of my dog and cat. Steve Martin, the comedian, once pulled a joke on me and told me I was bananas.

How old were you when you started writing?
When I was 10 and in Mrs. Esther Steele’s 5th grade, she saw the spaced out daydreamer and harnessed me to reality by assigning me as our “class reporter.” I scribbled the “news,” Mrs. Steele edited and graded, and then I rewrote my little class news article. After school my mom would drive me over to Molly Week’s house. Molly was a reporter for the Mangum Star newspaper in Mangum, OK. Molly always paid me with a stick of Wrigley’s Spearmint Gum. The “news” I wrote appeared in Friday’s newspaper. So it was fun getting to read something I wrote in the newspaper.

Where do you get your inspiration?
For me, writing starts way before scribbling words on the pages of a notebook — writing starts in imagination, pretending and natural curiosity — or dreams. My earliest memories began in imagination. I try to catch the images — the mirages, movement, all the sensory stuff into words on paper. And, very clumsily, too. Other times, it’s standing in front of the kitchen sink, washing dishes, staring out the window and letting my mind roam. Ideas sprout from conversations and sometimes an odd article I’ve read.

What do you do when you get a writer's block?
I goof off. But that doesn’t mean I’m not thinking about the characters, observing their little scenarios, eavesdropping on their conversations. Detailed scenes flash through my thoughts. I just let the cauldron bubble and simmer. I read a lot. Sew. Look at photos. Photos are great inspiration.

Who is your favorite author?
I have too many favorite authors from since I first began reading. My favorite author is usually the author I’m reading at the moment, but I guess my all-time favorite contemporary writer is Diana Gabaldon.

I love her, too!  Best book you ever read.
Do I have to pick just one?
No
Okay then, the books that stick most in my mind are Steinbeck’s East of Eden, Gabaldon’s Outlander, and of course, J.R.R. Tolkien’s stories.

Who is the one person who has influence your personal life the most and why? 
I can’t say there’s any one person who has influenced my personal life the most. Too many people have influenced me. Some positive; some negative — my mom (conscience) and dad (high-strung). I had a lot of unusual early childhood experiences that pretty much shaped my feelings and thoughts. My dad was a small town physician, a jovial social person that everyone loved, but at home we kids toed the line for fear of the paddle on our behinds. He used to take me on house calls to meet his elderly, bed-ridden patients. I was all eyes and ears. My mom was always the moral compass. To keep me busy when she had a toddler and infant to take care of and the house, plus my dad and me, she sat me at the kitchen table, plunked down a Sears & Roebuck catalog in front of me along with an empty coffee tin, and gave me a pair of my dad’s surgical scissors. I was probably about 4. I spent hours cutting out stuff — mostly people — and filled up the coffee tin with paper doll stories. I more or less coerced my younger sister into playing paper dolls with me and we made up week-long story lines. Our favorite was when the maid and butler kidnapped the family and held them hostage. Oh, that was one big soap opera!

If you could sit down and have a conversation with ONE person, living or dead, real or fictional, who would it be and why?
My Grandma, Dora Timmons, my mom’s mom. She was probably the wisest person I knew, always surprising me with her many superstitions and accurate weather lore — pioneers who farmed probably all shared a sensibility with the earth and nature. She didn’t have any teeth (I was fascinated when she ate) and she raised six kids out in far Southwestern Oklahoma in Greer County on a cotton and wheat farm. They had no indoor plumbing and no indoor facilities, not even an outhouse. Their drinking water came from a cistern. As a young kid, I could not tell you how many times I worried about getting pecked on the butt when I was outside taking care of business. I spent a lot of time on the farm with her and grandpa. There are a lot of memories in that old farmhouse, gathered around a pot-bellied stove, and many of them have found their way into my writings.

What advice would you give someone who aspired to be a writer?
Observe everything and everyone in your environment; carefully observe your own thoughts, your actions, and whatever catches your attention and imagination. Write, write and rewrite millions of words. Read everything, study how the words and sentences ebb and flow, their rhythms. If your writing “sings” to you, maybe you’ve found your voice. Kick your ego to the curb and never stop learning. Be strong.

Another cover to share with us?

Do you have any links to share with us?
You can find more about my writing here:

Author FB Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/EA-Monroe/459769297421748

Personal FB Page: https://www.facebook.com/elizabeth.monroe.391

Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Elizabeth-Monroe/e/B008KACMBC/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

Twitter: ElizabethMonr16@Twitter.com

Blog: http://eamonroe.wordpress.com

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7142000.Elizabeth_Monroe

Also, this website/publisher features my books:  http://www.quillerworks.com

This Week on Vision and Verse

This Week on Vision and Verse

The Place for Art and Authors

Mon., Oct. 7                       Interview with Author E.A. Monroe

Tues.., Oct. 8                      Joey Paul Comes Back to See Us!

Wed., Oct. 9                       Interview with Author Alissa Callen

Thurs., Oct. 10                   A Look at the New Book Cover of BLUE LAKE

Fri., Oct. 11                        Interview with Author Bryan Alaspa