Interview with Author Maria Grazia Swan

Maria Grazia Swan

Phoenix, Arizona

Welcome to Vision and Verse, the Place for Art and Authors today, Maria Grazia.  We're happy to have you here with us.  Tell us a little about yourself and what you've written.

I have two series out at the moment, Mina’s adventures and what I like to call the Moon series, however my publisher refers to it as Lella York’s series. I also have a variety of non-fiction credits because I used to write relationships columns for singles who weren’t born yesterday and ended up with a book on the subject, Mating Dance. 

What is your favorite genre to write? 
I LOOOVE to write suspense with romantic elements, lots of romantic elements, but not enough to qualify as Romantic Suspense. Must be my Italian seeping through, I insert love in all my stories.

Favorite food. 
Can I say chocolate? If not, pasta. Pasta and bread are my comfort food. Except when a man invites me to a dinner date and asks the same question I say steak, potato and a glass of wine. The sure thing. How can you mess up a steak and a baked potato? I don’t want to spend my date-time discussing food, I rather discuss more personal subjects.

Tea or coffee?
Coffee. I’m Italian, remember?

Yes, I remember.  So am I!  Pizza or ice cream? 
I would pick pizza, not much of an ice cream person.

Where would you like to visit? 
I have Australia and New Zeeland on my bucket list.

Favorite musical artist. 
That’s a hard question. I tend to change my mind according to the mood, the weather, the daily news…and the person sitting next to me.

Do you listen to music when you write?  
What? Nope, I need silence.

Me, too.  I am too easily distracted!  What makes you laugh? 
The older I get the more I laugh. Little things that would have annoyed me to death a few years ago, I now find entertaining. Go figure!

How old were you when you started writing?
I won my first literary contest when I was 14, I’m guessing I started as a kid?

Describe your perfect evening. 
Dinner Al Fresco with friends, loud mouth friends…drinking Prosecco, ending up in someone’s home for coffee and chatting until the wee hours.

Where do you get your inspiration? 
People I’ve known. People I know. People I love. And the ones I despise. Memories, possibilities, dreams and never ending hopes. We could say I’m inspired by my feelings.

What do you do when you get a writer's block?
I fill out interview forms…☺

Who is your favorite author? 
Too many to list.

I hear Carol Ann Kauffman is pretty good.  Best book you ever read.
I honestly hope I haven’t read it yet. 

Who is the one person who has influenced your personal life the most and why?
My grandfather. My blog is called Stories my grandfather told me and other tall tales. The photo on the blog page is of my grandfather and his beloved dog Roma. The photo was taken in 1936, I wrote a story about the dog, I write many stories about my grandfather. Some of the stories were told to me by my grandmother. Okay, moving on, getting misty.

If you could sit down and have a conversation with ONE person, living or dead, real or fictional, who would it be and why?
By now it should be obvious, my grandfather. Want to make sure he is reading my stories up in heaven.

What advice would you give someone who aspired to be a writer?
Know that whatever you want to write about is probably already out there. However, no one can write like you do, your voice is unique, so go ahead, write from the heart and persevere. 



These last thirty days have been very interesting to say the least. In November I released Italian Summer, book 3 of the Mina’s adventures series. This is very special to me because I went back home to Italy, province of Vicenza (around Venice) to look at my small town with clean eyes and while doing that, lots of forgotten memories came hurling back. By the way, in the book I never mention the name of the small town where I was born and grew up because I want to make sure I’ll be allowed back.

Then on December 1 my publisher released Gemini Moon, (love the cover) the first of the new series. My main protagonist is a little older than the one in my first series. She is of course Italian born, don’t know how else to write…but she has a son in his twenty, a movie star no less. Okay, I better stop here.

It was a pleasure to have you with us, Maria Grazia.  Please come back and see us again.  Best of luck to you in all your writing endeavors!  

Author Interview with Cherime MacFarland

    

Cherime MacFarlane

Alaska

(I am camera-shy.  This is the best of a bad lot.)

Good morning, Cherime!  Welcome to Vision and Verse, the Place for Art and Authors.  I am delighted to have a chance to talk to you this morning about your books and the writing process.  Tell us a little about yourself and what you've written.

Although born in New Orleans, I am proud to call myself an Alaskan. I have lived here for 37 years, I have lived through -40 degrees, hauled water, made bear bacon and live in a cabin. I have used a fish wheel to catch salmon coming up the Copper River. I was my second husband's chief mechanic's helper and only roadie. I have cut firewood on shares, worked as a cocktail waitress, then as a paralegal for over 26 years. I hold the #80 press card as a reporter for the Copper Valley Views newspaper which ceased publication in the 1980s. I have been writing stories since junior high. Retired now, I can devote my time to what I love.

I came to Alaska by way of Arizona and California. I experienced the building of the pipeline up close. Then my second husband and I moved to Wasilla to get warm. It hardly ever drops past -25 in South Central Alaska. I never thought I would love it so much I never want to leave. The beauty of Alaska is a draw I cannot resist.  I love the people and the history. I have been captured by a place I came to under duress. Life does play some interesting tricks on one. I lost my first husband to alcohol. My second husband, the love of my life died as a result of disease. We were not apart more than 24 hours for 20 plus years . I never wanted to be anywhere but with him. He was a man to run the river with.
I've written:

Behind The Raven Mask, Daughter of The Raven, Mile 43.3 Richardson Highway, Death Wish, Then They Were Six, Highland Light, Wired For Sound, North By Northeast, Rhythm And Blues, Family Knots, Snagged, Stalking Red, Heart of The Hunter.

What is your favorite genre to write? 

Romance but I do tend to look at things from both the male and female viewpoint. I was my father's oldest son. I understand men as well as women. The Copper River Romance series is set in a rural area of Alaska. The population there is an odd mix of cultures. I really like exploring that dynamic and how it affects the people living there.

Tea or coffee?

Both, but two cups of New Orleans coffee and chicory is my main morning drink. The rest of the day is for tea. 

Where would you like to visit?
I want to go back to Scotland. 

Pizza or ice cream?
Ice cream, butter pecan.

Favorite food.
Chocolate anything.

Favorite musical artist. Do you listen to music when you write? What? 

Robert Plant. I listen to hot country, rock and heavy metal. It depends on my mood.

What makes you laugh?

Just about anything. I laughed my self silly over Jeff Foxworthy's "You're An Alaskan If".

How old were you when you started writing?
I was telling stories and acting out scenarios for as long as I can recall. I was always the action figure; my little sister was the side kick. I began writing stories down in junior high school.

Describe your perfect evening.  It would be relaxing with a nice dark beer or a shot of good Scotch in ginger ale. I enjoy listening to music while either reading a good book or working on a book.

Where do you get your inspiration? 

Inspiration comes from odd sources sometimes. It has come from things which have happened in my life or the lives of others. A couple of times inspiration came from song lyrics. Often it comes from dreams that are not quite dreams as I am not quite asleep when they happen.

What do you do when you get  writer's block?
I don't often have writer's block. If the words are not flowing easily I will read or go break some speed limits out on the road. I like driving fast. I commuted 130 miles to work over snow and ice covered roads for over 30 years. In Alaska if you are driving under 70 mph get into the slow lane and let everyone else go by, snow or no snow. 

Who is your favorite author?

Anne McCaffrey, I have read everything she wrote twice.

Best book you ever read. 

Crystal Singer

Who is the one person who has influenced your personal life the most and why?
My father, Forrest Lundin. He was an encourager. He told me I could do anything I wanted to do. Then he taught me about levers and how to use them.

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

Robert the Bruce of Scotland. I want to know all the gory details of what really happened.

What advice would you give someone who aspired to be a writer? Do not turn down an opportunity to try something you have never done. Experience what life has to offer. Even if it turns out badly, it might find its way into a book someday. As they say in flying "any landing you walk away from is a good one".

Do you have a link for us to follow you?

http://www.amazon.com/Cherime-MacFarlane/e/B00EP24SZW/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1

Cougar HuntComing in January, 2014. The last of the Jones boys from the Copper Basin is the youngest, Joe Friday Jones. The woman he wants is not cooperating. She has issues that are tearing her up. JF keeps trying to be there for her. It does not help that Linda is older and feels he is a kid. Linda's high risk behavior is hurting them both. JF wants her healed and whole. But will it cost him the only woman he has ever wanted?

Interview with Author Martin Skate

Martin Skate

London, UK 

Good morning, Martin.  Welcome to Vision and Verse, the Place for Art and Authors.  Tell us, what have you written?
The Spike Collection: Ten random short stories. It is my first published book, released in October 2013. I honestly don’t know why it has taken me this long to get something published! I gave myself a project of writing ten short stories, challenging myself to write a few varied tales, and this is the result. I began writing them in May, and was utterly thrilled to not only be published, but to learn how to publish, and experience the challenging world of ‘marketing’. 

I am so completely overwhelmed and excited by this publication that I am now in the mindset of writing a whole bunch more. I have begun writing a novel and hope to have it published in February 2014. 

Also I am thankful for being so widely embraced in the independent author’s circle, there are so many benefits, so much love, and so much learning. Plus of course, the great reviews, the feedback, the friendships, wow, it is immense, writing has suddenly become incredibly addictive!

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What is your favorite genre to write?
Humour.  It is that simple! I tried to write different genres, but my characters always return to being slightly mischievous, a little bit sarcastic, and always leaning to have one of those eyebrow raised looks of disdain on them, they’re always a bit self -deprecating.  I like science fiction, surrealism, anything a bit different, I got this (I think) from Catch-22, and from Douglas Adams’s Hitchhikers guide to the galaxy (they’re both big influences). 

Favorite food.
Apart from onions? Well I am concerned that my love for gammon could one day mean that that is all I eat. Fortunately that eventuality hasn’t occurred yet. I feel like I could eat tubs of egg mayo, prawn mayo, or maybe just even coleslaw until I literally exploded, they are the ‘yum’ foods for me. I have never really been fussy with food, I’ll eat anything, but if I like it, I will eat it in large quantities and forever. The wife will say my favourite meal is ‘Toad in the hole’ (Sausages cooked in a giant Yorkshire Pudding, with peas (though the peas is my own adage to this masterpiece)). I am not a massive dessert fan although my favourite chocolate bar is plainly a KitKat (normal, chunky, flavoured, anything you like, KitKats are the true Daddy of the chocolate bar world). 

Tea or coffee?
From around 16-25 I was a tea drinker. Loved it. Then I had my first cup of coffee and could never have a cup of tea ever again, yuck. Coffee, Americano, no sugar, it is really the only drink necessary (apart from wine, and the occasion G&T obviously). 

Pizza or ice cream?
Ummmmm, pizza, but only good pizza, and only really because am not a fan of ice-cream any more, except for in the summer (i.e roughly about 4 days in a year in London), and then it will be a Feast, Magnum, Cornetto, something like that, and chocolate, always chocolate, everything else is sheer nonsense. 

What’s good pizza? You knowwww, the thin crust, probably with onion, sweetcorn, some kind of chicken, good tomato saucey type deal all over it, nothing fancy, must have onions (that’s a deal-breaker, no onion no pizza). 

Where would you like to visit?
I am well-travelled I am pleased, proud to say, no wait, how do I sound humble here? I’ve been around. I have never been to Alaska. There’s nothing I particularly want to see there but I recall watching a tv programme called ‘Northern Exposure’ it made me want to go and live there for a while, it was remote, cosy, relaxed, reallllllly relaxed, I reckon decades could pass without people noticing there. I guess I am saying I would like to visit the more remote & country-type places, somewhere where there is fishing… I’ve never been fishing, lots of invitations to do so, just haven’t yet, there you go, I’d like to go to Fishing please. 

Favorite musical artist.  Do you listen to music when you write?  What?
I grew up on a diet of Elvis & Elton John, and still love both. My current favourites are Bruno Mars, and a band called Fun, so the pop world has never left me. I do a lot of long distance running so for that I listen to a whole menagerie of dance music, most of which I don’t even know who the artists are, I just love the sounds. Prince, Stevie Wonder, Amy Winehouse, Aretha Franklin, Eva Cassidy, Daft Punk, they’re all on my current playlist. When I write I need complete silence, but if I have to have the headphones on (to drown out the noise in the background) it is something mellow, Ray Lamontagne is a good one for this, love the Ray! 

What makes you laugh?
A lot, my sense of humour stuck at around 12 years old and has never really progressed from there. More specifically… George from Seinfeld, good puns, my kids (they’re comedy legends unbeknownst to them), Tony Hancock, Kenneth Williams, Family guy (particularly when it’s late and the wine glasses are large ones), in fact so many things. I laugh at my own jokes too, I don’t see this as a bad thing (although others frown, or stifle laughs, or both).  

How old were you when you started writing?
I used to write my own comics at school does that count? When I was a teenager I would write about what happened when my friends grew up. I blogged (but was awful) a while back, and I think I began writing short stories around eight years ago, it took me until now to publish. 

Describe your perfect evening.
Hmmm, this is the hardest question so far. There would be wine, there would be great conversation, which would then progress to a comfy lounge and further deep conversation, and then of course, there would either be a piano or a guitar and we would sing until we were hoarse or there was sunrise, or (usually) both. 

Where do you get your inspiration?
Everywhere, even a train journey that I’ve made a thousand times can give me something. The bigger impact is with new experiences, anything new anything different, that is inspiration in itself. 

What do you do when you get a writer's block?
Well, I haven’t been a writer that long to find out, and I have so many ideas literally bursting to get out that I think I am a bit away from this yet, however, sometimes yes, a blank page is a blank page, this is what my blog is for. I find that I give myself a topic and I can ramble on for a while before the words stop coming (however, ummm, no one is saying the writing is of any quality, but, I do completely adhere to the philosophy that writing is like a muscle, it needs to be exercised, this is so so true, the more you (or I) write the easier it becomes. Practice practice practice, it is the same with running, the more you run, the easier it is, trust me (I went from never running at all, to running 2 minutes a day, to running a marathon ☺). 

Who is your favorite author?
Tom Sharpe. A wonderful style, this is the definitive ‘laugh aloud whilst reading’ example. I have read and re-read Sharpe’s books many times and they never get dull, if anything they improve and I always think upon parts that I missed the first time around, highly recommend. 

Best book you ever read.
Joseph Heller’s Catch 22. The troubles that Yossarian encounters, the irreversible circles that he is bound by, and his incredulity, it all just makes me incredulous with him. I truly feel the senselessness, the madness, the craziness of it all, I am right there with Yossarian, I feel his pain, his frustration, wow. It is a book I will never tire of and am consistently motivated and inspired by. It is not just a book, it is magic, how Heller articulated the craziness of it all I will never know. 

Who is the one person who has influenced your personal life the most and why?
Oooh, a personal question, crikey. There is someone. He made me realise you could do anything you wanted to and that there was no reason to feel bound to do anything. Errr, next!? ☺  

If you could sit down and have a conversation with ONE person, living or dead, real or fictional, who would it be and why?
Elvis Presley. I would love to have discussed his impact on the world and how he perceived it.  I would like to discuss with him how he could have gone further to improve the world via music, and asked what his thoughts were on why music was so enriching and powerful. 

What advice would you give someone who aspired to be a writer?
Just write! Practice all the time, write a little each week, get feedback, and make the time to really do it. It’s that simple, you can do it, if I can, anyone can. 

Do you have any links for us to follow you? Blog: http://www.martinskate.com/ 
Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00G05WZPW/
Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/martinskateauthor
Twitter:  http://twitter.com/martinskate9 
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/martinskate9 

Happy Holidays

Dear Happy Readers,

     I wish you the happiest of holidays, surrounded by your loved ones, and experiencing the peace and joy of the season.

    Hugs,

    Carol   

Merry Christmas Giveaway

A Merry Christmas 1700 LIKES Giveaway is now in progress on my Facebook Author Page.  Go to Amazon.com and type in "books". In the search box type in "Carol Ann Kauffman".  Eight books are listed, the titles of the full-length novels are written in ALL CAPITAL letters.  Pick the one you want and type the title in the comment section of my Facebook Author Page. All books are kindle format digital books.  Winners will be notified on Facebook, Vision and Verse and carolannkauffman.weebly.com, my website.  Merry Christmas!

Interview with Author Kathy Bryson

Kathy Bryson

 Florida

Good morning, Kathy!  Welcome to Vision and Verse, the Place for Art and Authors.  What have you written? 
Feeling Lucky and coming in Summer 2014, the sequel Restless Spirits

What is your favorite genre to write? 
Romance with a touch of something extra. I was fortunate to find a publisher, SoulMate Publishing, that specializes in cross-genre fiction.

Favorite food. 
Roast beef as in stroganoff and French dip sandwiches.

Tea or coffee? 
Coffee, definitely coffee. I cannot start the day without it!

Pizza or ice cream?
Ice cream, preferably with chocolate. Though those cookie pizzas are pretty good too!

Where would you like to visit? 
Paris, Vienna, Rome - I visited London and Italy in high school, but I’d love to do the Grand Tour again!

Favorite musical artist. 
Tough choice! I listen to k.d. lang when I’m relaxing, Pat Benatar or Brian Setzer when I need energy and Chris Isaak when I’m blue. I’ve been know to rock out to Guns N’ Roses and I love the Metropolitan Opera’s live telecasts!

Do you listen to music when you write?
 Actually I can’t. I need quiet to concentrate. I like music when I tweet and email and such, but to get writing or grading done, I have to turn everything off.

What makes you laugh?
Silly stuff. I like dumb jokes, bad puns, goofy costumes. You just can’t take life too seriously.

How old were you when you started writing? 
Junior high. By the time I finished reading through my elementary school and the local children’s library, I knew that’s what I wanted to do. I studied English in college and finished my 1st book then, but I struggled to find the time and energy to write once I started working. Switching to teaching gave me that necessary time.

Describe your perfect evening. 
Quiet, reading or watching a good movie on TV.  Just me and the kitties fighting for couch space and control of the remote. 

Where do you get your inspiration? 
Feeling Lucky was inspired by Kathy Love’s Fangs, But No Fangs. She wrote a funny scene about a vampire getting his butt pinched by an older lady, a “she-clown.” I laughed, but then I thought that was a little unfair. Older ladies can appreciate a good-looking man too! Then it occurred to me that vampires might be sexy, but what you really need is to capture a leprechaun because they have money! 
Restless Spirits was a very different scenario. The overriding question there was how do you bounce back after you accidently set your best friend’s house on fire? So far, not a personal experience, thank goodness!

What do you do when you get a writer's block? 
Go for a walk. Getting out and moving around helps my brain jump to whatever conclusion it can’t see on the computer screen.

Who is your favorite author?
I love good satire, especially sci-fi/fantasy that pokes fun. My favorites include Robert Asprin, Terry Pratchett, Craig Shaw Gardner. My favorite paranormal romance authors take an irreverent approach – Dakota Cassidy, Michele Bardsley, Molly Harper. 

Best book you ever read. 
Oh, I have a library full of books that defies an easy choice! Shakespeare, however, has been my go-to source for this series. Not only did he help define fairy lore in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and The Tempest, he just has such beautiful language! A pleasure to read and hear.

Who is the one person who has influenced your personal life the most and why? 
Probably my mom. I end up writing a lot about mother/daughter relationships because they have this great inherent conflict. Daughters want to please their mothers, but they don’t want to be their mothers. Mothers want to protect their daughters, but have to let go. My mom and I are very different people, but we’ve learned to respect and appreciate our differences. She’s a great person to bounce ideas off.

If you could sit down and have a conversation with ONE person, living or dead, real or fictional, who would it be and why?
Marie Curie. She was born when women weren’t allowed to study and excelled in a field that even now women struggle in.  And she did it at the turn of the last century during great political unrest and social change. She was one of the founding pioneers of a then entirely new approach to the natural world, physics. She became the 1st woman to win a Nobel Prize in Dec. 1903, but just six months earlier, in June 1903, she wasn’t allowed to present to the Royal Institute of London because she was a woman. She did this all with the help of her husband, Pierre Curie, so I’d love to get her take on work and relationships today, a hundred years later.

What advice would you give someone who aspired to be a writer? Read everything! Dr. Seuss said it best – “The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go.”

Do you have any links for us?
Facebook link is https://www.facebook.com/kathybryson22
Twitter is https://twitter.com/kathybryson2

Book is available at http://www.amazon.com/Feeling-Lucky-ebook/dp/B00DH6HQ9M/

website-blog is http://kathybryson.wordpress.com/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOIdqDhbcjA

Kathy Bryson's Feeling Lucky Book Trailer
www.youtube.com