Tag: best selling authors

Interview with the Master of Suspense, Dean Koontz (part 1)

Dean.Koontz.TrixieScanMy love of Golden Retrievers and Dean Koontz’s brilliant writing began decades ago when I read Koontz’s book, ‘Watchers‘.  One of the heroes of the story was Einstein, a super smart golden retriever.  I promised myself that when I retired and could dedicate time to a larger dog,  I would own my first Golden.   I remember back to getting my first; Sadie.  I was so excited that  I sent Dean photos of her, (nine weeks old) romping in gold and red fall leaves.  I enclosed a note from Sadie to Trixie and  darned if she didn’t write back.

Dean and Trixie, circa 2000

 

THE INTERVIEW!

Q: Where do you write? Do you have a special room, shed, barn, special space for your writing?

A: I have a home office. I work at a horseshoe-shaped desk, the long arms of which are fifteen feet. The desk is made of (and the office is paneled with) honey-toned quarter-cut anigre, and the desk top is of black marble with gold veining. There are bookshelves with books but also a collection of Bakelite radios from the Art Deco period. Most of the radios still work, though you have  to wait for the vacuum tubes to heat up.

Continue reading “Interview with the Master of Suspense, Dean Koontz (part 1)”

Saturday is the BIG Day….an Interview with Dean Koontz!

dean_photo_1FANS will not want to miss this exciting, in-depth interview with Dean Koontz, master of the suspense thriller for three decades!  Just in time to also announce the release of his latest book,  “The City”  July 1st.

‘Here is the riveting, soul-stirring story of Jonah Kirk, son of an exceptional singer, grandson of a formidable “piano man,” a musical prodigy beginning to explore his own gifts when he crosses a group of extremely dangerous people, with shattering consequences. Set in a more innocent time not so long ago, The City encompasses a lifetime but unfolds over three extraordinary, heart-racing years of tribulation and triumph, in which Jonah first grasps the electrifying power of music and art, of enduring friendship, of everyday heroes.

The unforgettable saga of a young man coming of age within a remarkable family, and a shimmering portrait of the world that shaped him, The City is a novel that speaks to everyone, a dazzling realization of the evergreen dreams we all share.

Brilliantly illumined by magic dark and light, it’s a place where enchantment and malice entwine, courage and honor are found in the most unexpected quarters, and the way forward lies buried deep inside the heart.’  (courtesy of amazon.com)

The New York Times has called his writing “psychologically complex, masterly and satisfying.” The New Orleans Times-Picayune said Koontz is, “at times lyrical without ever being naive or romantic. [He creates] a grotesque world, much like that of Flannery O’Conner or Walker Percy … scary, worthwhile reading.” Rolling Stone has hailed him as “America’s most popular suspense novelist.”

A two part Interview June 28th and July 1st.  Don’t Miss It!!

“The Prime Minister’s Secret Agent” Book Giveaway, July 1st

Susan.MacNeal.(c)_Andrea_VaszkoHistoric fiction writer, Susan Elia MacNeal has written another fab book!

About a year ago I was looking around amazon for a new author as all my favorite ones (I have dozens as I am certain you do) were writing their new books and my shelf was getting depleted.  I stumbled upon Susan Elia MacNeal and her WWII historic mysteries.   Her heroine, Maggie, works in London’s war office as a decryption specialist. Her craft at story telling is such that I could smell the cigarette smoke, hear the clack of the typewriters, and found myself checking to see if the seams in my nylons were straight.  I’ve been a fan ever since.

Random House has asked me to promote the release of her new book by giving away two books and that contest will appear at the end of this month.  The entry rules will be announced this Sunday.   Only paperback and mailing address must be in USA.

If you missed my interview with Susan, please click here.
 Continue reading ““The Prime Minister’s Secret Agent” Book Giveaway, July 1st”

Review~~Loretta Chase’s Vixen in Velvet

REVIEW!  reviews, authors, writingreviews, authors, writingreviews, authors, writingreviews, authors, writingreviews, authors, writing(5 out of 5 quills)  Vixen in Velvet  (The Dressmakers)

One thing about Loretta Chase; she NEVER disappoints. Her historic romances are more than the words imply. She is witty and her humor is so subtle….you must pay attention or you’ll miss the nuances.

“Have you any idea what my wife and her sisters have been through these last months, while you and Swanton idled abroad?” Clevedon said.  “While your cousin was in Venice murdering the English language–“
“I shouldn’t call it murder, ” Lisburne said.  “Flesh wounds, no more.  You give him too much credit.  And it was in Florence that he composed his latest batch of verse.”

Her characters are rich and full.  And they appear in other books which makes a reader want to come back for more.  She takes you to London, in the 1800’s; the sounds, the smells, the sights.  With every book, she teaches the reader about what it was like then to be a woman, sometimes a woman without a livelihood or means to support herself.  I always learn something from her fiction…this time, dressmaking and fabrics of that time. Continue reading “Review~~Loretta Chase’s Vixen in Velvet”

Kurt Vonnegut had a Few Rules….

Vintg.2            I am in the middle of creating a Journal – Workbook for Creative Writing.   There are six sections, ‘How to Begin’, ‘How to Write Fiction’, How to Write a Stage Play’ and more.  I also included inspiring quotes from famous authors and playwrights as well as poets.  It’s more than a journal, although the owner of the book will have well over 260 blank pages in which to create and write.

While I do not profess to be the ‘expert’ when it comes to writing I did want to share with you, in this Journal, some tools that you can use when you sit down to write. I don’t know about you, but I am so inspired when reading the work of another author that I admire, that I also included many fascinating quotes.

“I learned never to empty the well of my writing, but always to stop when there was still something there in the deep part of the well, and let it refill at night from the springs that fed it.” Ernest Hemingway Continue reading “Kurt Vonnegut had a Few Rules….”

Interview with Loretta Chase, best selling author (part 2)

Q.  When did you begin to write seriously? LC & Puccini May 2011

A.  As soon as I learned to write.  As a small child, I used to tell stories.  Some people called these lies.  Truth—lies—all the same to me.  But I remember I couldn’t wait to learn to read & write.  As soon as I had the alphabet and some vocabulary under my belt—Look!  See!  Go!—I was writing.  It did not stop.  Journals, letters, poetry, and interminable Great American Novel.  But the GAN never got finished, probably because I did not know how to write a story.  I didn’t get my head wrapped around story structure until I started writing scripts for corporate video.  One of my producers(the man I eventually married) got me to admit I wanted to become a novelist (like Charles Dickens!).  As part of his cunning Get Rich Slow Scheme, he persuaded or tricked or taunted me—I’m still not quite sure what happened—to work up the nerve to write a book for publication.

Q. How long after that were you published?

A. Contrary to all the laws of publishing, the first novel I wrote from beginning to end was accepted by the first publisher I sent it to.  Un-agented.  Over the transom.  Those were the days. Continue reading “Interview with Loretta Chase, best selling author (part 2)”

Don’t Miss My Interview with author, Loretta Chase

IMG_1910Thursday, May 29th begins my exciting and refreshing interview with best selling author, Loretta Chase.

LC.      “My career at Clark University was not short. After earning a B.A. in only twice the usual time, I stayed on to work in clerical, administrative, and part-time teaching posts. There were other real jobs along the way: stints with jewelry and clothing retailers, and a Dickensian six-month experience as a meter maid.

 But my main business in life was writing. This is why I majored in English instead of something useful that would lead to a real job with an actual salary. English majors must read mountains of books and write reams of papers. If only they would have paid me for being an English major, my life would have been perfect…….”   (courtesy of her web site)
  Coming Soon!  Loretta’s newest book  Released June 24th

A Word About Censorship and Trust!

I’m a wise, old lady writer.  I’ve been knocked around a little by life, finally learned  from my mistakes, but all in all had a good life.  The biggest blessing in my years here has been my writing.  I read another profound piece by my hero, Charles ‘Hank’ Bukowski and it got me to thinking about who we should trust with our precious scribblings.  More about that later.

censorA tale of Censorship and Trust…..I recently have been trying to find just the right person to help me with my social networking, public relations and marketing my books.  A young woman answered my ad and she seemed like the ideal fit; she knew everything about social media and was working toward a career in public relations.   In the initial interview (via Skype) we were on a roll; she was ready to get to work and I offered her the job.  In the conversation we touched on women’s issues and that led me to telling her a little about one of my novels, Women Outside the Walls.  (She had not researched me or my writing before the interview).  The story is of women going to visit their men in prison…sometimes for years.  It’s a ‘gritty and truthful book’.  This young woman’s face shut down. Her next question was, “is there anything socially redeeming about your books?”  I almost swallowed my tongue to keep from saying a bad word.  Who did she think she was? Continue reading “A Word About Censorship and Trust!”

Do you have Strange Rituals When Writing? (part 2)

writing process, create, writers, grammarRemember, no ritual should ever take the place of actually getting words on the page . But they can help you shift your mindset just enough to see things in a fresh way.

In the immortal words of novelist and screenwriter Raymond Chandler:  ‘Technique alone is never enough. You have to have passion. Technique alone is just an embroidered potholder.’

‘What are your rituals, Trish?’  Oh, yes I did promise to share my rituals…..I wake up naturally (34 years of alarm clocks were more than enough, thank you!) sometime before 9AM, depending on what my body needs and how long I was up during the night, writing. Continue reading “Do you have Strange Rituals When Writing? (part 2)”

Do You have Strange Rituals when Writing?

Strange habits of very successful writers.  Courtesy:  Kelton Reid, Copyblogger Media writer.

1.Try writing horizontally.

George Orwell, Mark Twain, Edith Wharton, famous quotes, famous writers, history, poetry, Bukowski, ChurchillWinston Churchill, and Marcel Proustproust were all famous for churning out pages while lying in bed. Novelist Truman Capote also wrote everything in longhand in the horizontal position. Don’t forget, proper rest is crucial to creativity, so if you’re already there, why not grab the laptop and give it a try?

2.Take a walk or bike ride without a destination in mind.

Charles Dickens and Henry Miller both used to wander around Europe trying to get lost, a technique that psychologists say can foster creativity. Continue reading “Do You have Strange Rituals when Writing?”