New Press Release Published!

Yes! The Kansas City Star published a press release on Lost in the Bayou today. I don't want to take up a ton of space here, because I want people to see the contest below, but feel free to visit my website and give the release a read. Click HERE.

And don't forget to enter our contest. That mug would look great on your desk!

Interview with Warner McCorkle

Today, we’re at the Sherwood Estate in Louisiana, and we’re speaking with Mr. Warner McCorkle. He’s agreed to give us an interview regarding the events at the estate after the children left. So, let’s begin.

Warner, it's obvious that the things Miss Sherwood describes in Lost in the Bayou were unusual, to say the least. Her narrative gives us a good idea of what happened with her and Andy on their trip to the bayou and the Voodoo Swamp. However, I’m certain there were some things that occurred here at the house with Conrad after they left. Can you tell us a little about that?

Yes, sir, I can. Before they left that morning, Miss Robin gave me the cellar key. She told me to lock Mister Conrad down there so she and Andy could get away from him. Or at least get a good head start on him. Well, that’s exactly what I did.

How did you get him to go down in the cellar in the first place?

Well, that was Missus Deffenbaugh’s doing actually. She told Mister Conrad that the children were hiding in the cellar. And that’s because Miss Robin told her to tell him that. So that was one of the first places he looked. And when he went down there, I slammed the door and locked him in. And I made pretend that the children had done it. I even hollered at them. They weren’t there, of course, but it made him think they were.

How long did you keep Conrad locked in there?

Oh, most of the day. Like Miss Robin asked me to. I let him out around suppertime. I can tell you, he wasn’t very pleased about being stuck in there all day. Especially without his whiskey. It scared me a bit when I let him out and he waved that hooky hand of his at me. He was using some language that his mother would be mighty ashamed to hear.

So, you locked him in the cellar for the day, and you let him out that evening. What happened next?

Well, he got pretty drunk that night. I could still hear him in the wee hours of the morning, slamming doors and cussing like a sailor. He was searching for the children. The next morning he told me he was going to take Beau Diddly, that’s my mule, into the bayou and find the children. I told him my mule didn’t take kindly to strangers riding him. He said that didn’t matter a hoot. He was already drinking at breakfast that morning.

Drinking?

Oh, yes, sir. Mister Conrad was a drinker all right. He had a bottle with him every minute of the day. And night. Anyway, he said he was taking Beau Diddly to the bayou and find the children. I knew there wasn’t no way I could stop him. I’m an old man. I knew I was gonna have to outthink him. So I made up a little story about the old cypress tree down there.

What kind of story did you make up?

I told him there was limbless cypress tree on a little island where the creek forks. That part was true. I told him it was hollow. That part was true, too. And I told him the children said they were gonna hide inside it. That part wasn’t true, but I wanted to lead him to that tree.

Why? What was so special about that particular tree?

Well, it wasn’t the tree I was leading him to, actually. In order to get to the tree, you have to get past the quicksand. There’s a big pool of it, and that’s what I was leading him to.

Weren’t you afraid Beau Diddly would get stuck in it?

A little. But I figured Beau is a pretty smart old mule. Animals can sense danger. He would balk before he got to it.  And when that mule balks, there ain’t no way of getting him to move. That would force Conrad to get off and walk the rest of the way. Right into that old big pool of quicksand. And that would be the end of that.

Is that what happened?

Well, sir, I don’t think I should say anything more about that. Miss Robin might be unhappy with me if I told any more and spoiled her story for anyone who’s reading it.

You’re absolutely right, Warner. Let’s stop at that point. And thanks for spending the time with us. To get a little more info on the story, visit the mini website HERE. To find out everything that happened, our readers can order their own copy. Lost in the Bayou will be available everywhere ebooks are sold this Friday, December 2.

Or you can pre-order it right now by clicking HERE.

Neil Gaiman said Spread this Around

I recently stumbled onto an article on Neil Gaiman's blog that I felt, and he agreed, should be spread around among authors and writers.

The following is copied directly from Neil's post...

John M. Ford was pretty much the smartest writer I knew. Mostly. He did one thing that was less than smart, though: he knew he wasn't in the best of health, but he still didn't leave a proper will, and so didn't, in death, dispose of his literary estate in the way that he intended to while he was alive, which has caused grief and concern to the people who were closest to him.

He's not the first writer I know who didn't think to take care of his or her posthumous intellectual property. For example, I knew a writer -- a great writer -- separated from and estranged from his wife during the last five years of his life. He died without making a will, and his partner, who understood and respected his writing, was shut out, while his wife got the intellectual property, and has not, I think, treated it as it should have been treated. These things happen, and they happen too often.

There are writers who blithely explain to the world that they didn't make a will because they don't mind who gets their jeans and old guitar when they die but who would have conniptions if they realised how much aggravation their books or articles or poems or songs would cause their loved ones (or editors, anthologists or fans) after their death...

Writers put off making wills (well, human beings put off making wills, and most writers are probably human beings). Some of us think it's self-aggrandising or foolish to pretend that anyone would be interested in their books or creations after they're dead. Others secretly believe we're going to live forever and that making a will would mean letting Death in a crack.

Others make wills, but don't think to take into account what happens to our literary estate as a separate thing from the disposition of our second-best beds, which means unqualified or uninterested relatives can find themselves in control of everything the author's written. Some of us are just cheap.

All this bothered me, and still bothers me.

Shortly after Mike Ford's death, I spoke to Les Klinger about it. Les is a lawyer, and a very good one, and also an author. I met him through Michael Dirda, and the Baker Street Irregulars.

Les immediately saw my point, understood my crusade and went off and made a document for authors. Especially the lazy sort of authors, or just the ones who haven't quite got around to seeing a lawyer, or who figure that one day it'll all sort itself out, or even the ones to whom it has never occurred that they need to think about this stuff. 

<more... including a link to a downloadable form... >

Author Poll

Let's have some fun today and get to know each other a little better. On the right sidebar, you'll notice a poll. I'm trying to get a feel for the readership of this blog so I can gear my posts toward subject matter that will be of interest to the largest number of readers.

I hope you will take a moment to fill in your responses. If you write in a genre that I haven't included, leave me a comment and I'll add it.

Also, if you're not a "follower" I hope you will click that "FOLLOW" icon. And thanks if you do.

Meet Emma Lane - Author

Today we have another Musa author with us. Please welcome Emma Lane. She’s offered to spend some time with us and tell us a little about her new novel, Belinda, My Love. So, let’s get started.

Where did your inspiration for this book come from? 

Belinda is the youngest of three sisters of the Vicar Robinson. She can’t remember her mother who passed away too soon, but her father approves of his daughters who engage in God’s work. Belinda has had a very liberal upbringing. She lives in a small community where everyone knows everyone. Belinda is a keen herbalist/chemist. She helps the local doctor heal the sick and involves herself in medical research by mail. At the time of our story, she is 19 years old and about to make her come-out in London.

How do you create your characters? Are they based on people you know, or do they each have a little of Emma Lane inside them?

I am part owner of an herb/perennial shoppe. I wanted to write more about herbs, but Belinda got involved in her London adventure. She is her own person and very strong minded, if I may say so. 

BELINDA, MY LOVE is both Belinda’s story and Quinton Royston, Lord Harrington’s. He appears in all three of the stories and finally had to have his own with Belinda. He is the rogue who could not be introduced to the young ladies in MY PASSIONATE LOVE and the ostracized Rogue who came to Melanie’s rescue in A SCANDALOUS DESIGN.  Who, by the way, doesn’t love a rogue? Especially a handsome one with a crooked grin. To watch him fall in love and make a fool of himself was too precious for words. 

I ask each of the Musa authors I interview to speak a bit about Musa and their publishing model. They’re concentrating their publishing efforts entirely in the digital format realm at the present time. Did you have any reservations about being solely digital when you signed with them?

Not in the least. I would follow the Fab Four to the ends of the earth. That entire staff is a group of movn’ grovn’ smart ladies. They’ve set up a system that promises to open the eyes of the entire publication community. I predict a new wave of transparency between authors and publishers in the future.

Tell us a little about the chronology. What steps led up to the contract?

Well, first you muddle around and write the book. Then you rewrite it. and rewrite, and rewrite. Then you submit, and submit…do you want me to go on? Then when you get the offer, you do several snoopy dances around your living room, out into the driveway and into the street. Then you are introduced to your editor, and you wonder if you ever rewrote the story. It’s quite an education. 

I’m guessing an artist at Musa created your cover. Did you have any input in that creation?

It’s a neat system. I can’t explain it all to you, but Kelly was my creator. We do work together, but the powers that be have the last say so. I love my covers a lot.

Tell our readers one unusual thing about you that we would never suspect.

I am a wildflower buff and an amateur birdwatcher. I also write contemporary and have one in publication over @ Desert Breeze Publishing.  It’s a romantic suspense heavy in nature and birds.

It sounds like you’re a very busy author. Where can our readers get a copy of your Belinda, My Love? Also, will it work for Kindle and Nook and all of those other eReaders out there?  

I’m a bad one to ask. To my knowledge our books are available on most popular sites. I will tell you that I prefer you download from the Musa site and then go from there. I read my stories right from my computer and it works out just fine. Other authors will probably provide better detail than I.

‘The Vicar’s Daughters Three’ are a set, but they can be read alone as well without disturbing the stories. I very much enjoyed writing them and I hope you will like reading them. Aurora Regency has a fine selection of Regency and Historical stories for your selection. MUSA PUBLISHING has something fun going on all the time. Do stop by and give us a visit and a shout-out.

Thanks for having me here. I’ve enjoyed our interview very much.

Thanks, Emma, for spending the time with us today and giving us a glimpse into your stories. We’re wishing you the best of luck with these and future books.

Lauren Hunter - The Coffee Shop

Today we have another debut author from the Musa Publishing stable of creative writers. I want to welcome Lauren Hunter and thank her for spending the time with us today. Lauren has agreed to answer some questions for us regarding her soon-to-be-released paranormal romance novel. So, let’s begin.

First off, tell us a little about The Coffee Shop. Where did your inspiration for this book come from?

I had planned to write a horror novel, had it all plotted out in my head. Then that morning, the second I woke up, the idea for this one literally popped into my head. It was one simple idea, from there I tweaked it and continued tweaking it, the ideas just jumping out one after the other in quick succession, and the book was born. I then sat down and wrote it in 19 days. So I guess you could say the inspiration came from a story I heard years ago, about this strange dream, and it just took off from there. As to why it came to me just then, in that moment, I cannot say. That seems to be the way with all my stories.

The story is about Derrick Sloane. He wakes up one day to discover a dream he had was actually a look into his own future, five months into his future to be exact. And when he meets the woman of his dreams he realizes his interactions with her are altering the timeline he dreamed would happen. So he tries to fix it, but every time he does something changes, and not always in the way he had hoped. But then something even more unusual happens, and he sees two alternate timelines. And now he must make a decision, the most difficult one he has ever made.

That’s amazing. I can’t imagine writing a whole book in only 19 days. So, once you had the idea, how did you begin creating your characters? Are they based on people you know, or do they each have a little bit of Lauren Hunter inside them?

That’s kind of like the question, which came first the chicken or the egg? Do we create characters and build a story around them, or the other way around? With me it’s a bit of both. The characters and the story are so closely connected that to me they are all part of the same animal. The story makes the characters what they are, in my mind. What kind of character do they need to be to do what is required of them within the story? 

I assume that all writers draw on their own personal life experiences when it comes to their characters. The degree to which they integrate themselves into those characters may depend on the writer. But I have no doubt we all do it. I have drawn on life experiences, and observations, and have incorporated them into my characters to one degree or another.

I just recently did an interview with Arley Cole who wrote The Blacksmith’s Daughter. She’s also with Musa, and she spoke very highly of them. What’s your experience been so far, and did you have any reservations about going with digital publishing rather than the traditional hard copy printed version? Also, give us your opinion regarding the future of digital publishing?

Do I have reservations? None whatsoever. Digital has overtaken hard copy in sales. It is the market of the future. The price and convenience are to be preferred by the buying market. To order it whenever you wish, from wherever you wish, and receive it instantly…How can you beat that? And this should also help to keep the price down. There are those people that prefer the physical book in their hands though, the tactile experience, the look of it, the smell of the paper…But digital is definitely the market of the future. It wasn’t that long ago I heard it was 65% of the market. Who knows what it is now. Of course, it would always be amazing to see and hold a copy of your book in your hands, but if you can get it for a lot less, if given a choice, I would take digital. This will increase sales for authors and publishers, and give the readers more books to read for less money. Everyone wins.

Tell us a little about the chronology. How did you and Musa find each other, and what happened after that?

In this particular case there is not much to tell really. I was aware of Musa so I sent in my partial, they asked for a full, and then offered me a contract. 

I love the cover of your book. Tell us about it. How did that come about?

The covers are created by Kelly Shorten. As authors we are permitted to be a part of the creative process. We are encouraged to provide details and/or suggestions to make the cover the best it can be, reflecting the story inside through the artwork on its cover. More recently I have started researching file images myself to help them in this process. If I can find the perfect photo, that best represents the story I am telling, then all the better for both myself and the art department.   

Well, it certainly looks very professional. Can you give us a teaser and quote your favorite passage from it.

Twice fate has brought Derrick Sloane and Annie Maddock together in the same place, but will fate now be the one to tear them apart.

A favorite passage? I can honestly say I don’t have a favorite. As I allow my mind to wander through the story I find myself thinking of the various points within the storyline and what they have to say. To choose any particular one over another would be like choosing one child over another.

Fair enough. Maybe we should buy your book and then send you OUR favorite passage. And with that in mind, tell us where can our readers get a copy. Also, will it work for Kindle and Nook and all of those other eReaders out there?

Right now it is available on the Musa site

As well as Amazon US and UK, Bookstrand, All Romance/Omni lit, and Rainbow ebooks. Eventually, it will be available through Smashwords and Fictionwise as well.

And, you were telling me earlier that people can still read your book as a digital version even if they don’t have a Kindle.

That’s correct. At Amazon.com anyone can download a free Kindle for PC or Kindle for Mac and read any of their digital books they want to purchase.

It sounds like there’s no excuse for not getting a copy of The Coffee Shop. Thank you so much Lauren for spending your time with us today. We wish you the best of luck on your journey toward Bestseller status.

Debut Author — Arley Cole

We have with us today a debut author from Musa Publishing—Arley Cole. 

The Blacksmith’s Daughter, is being released today through Musa Publishing. And on this very special day, Arley has generously agreed to spend a little time with us.

Thanks so much for visiting with us. How excited you must be. Why don’t we begin by telling us a little about your book? A lot of us would love to write a novel, but we really don’t know how to go about getting started. What was the source of your inspiration?

Well, The Blacksmith’s Daughter is my first novel. I have published some short stories, but this was the story I had to tell. I did indeed dream the opening part of the book. It was one of those really vivid dreams with dialogue and everything. So it had to be done!

Wow! I wonder where those ideas come from. But you only had the opening part at that point. Once you had the idea for the beginning, what did you do after that? How did you come up with the rest of it?

I plot best when I am working on something with my hands. In particular, I iron. 

You iron?

Yes. I know that sounds weird, but it works for me. It has amazed me just how many important scenes have unfolded in my head just like watching them on a movie while I iron! When I run out of things to iron at my house, I am perfectly willing to come to your house and do yours.

I don’t know much about ironing, but I understand what you’re saying. I have a riding lawnmower, and I get a lot of my ideas when I'm mowing my yard. I guess it’s just one of those activities that lets your mind wander. But let’s continue. What about your characters? How do you create them? Are they based on people you know, or do they each have a smidgeon of Arley Cole inside them?

Characters come to me like visions of people. It’s not really people I know, I don’t think. But I do spend a lot of time with them thinking about them and mentally putting them into non-plot situations until I feel like I know them. I also work a lot with the Meyers-Briggs Personality Type Indicator profiles and Kiersey Temperament Profiles. I see where my characters fall into personality type and that also helps me define them and get to see how they would react. Then as the plot develops it helps me keep them true to themselves.

It sounds like you really do put a lot of thought and effort into your character modeling. That’s probably why they seem so real to the reader.

Let’s talk a little about your publisher, Musa Publishing. I’ve been reading about them on a lot of blogs and websites. They’re all over Facebook. From what I’ve learned, they’re concentrating their publishing efforts entirely in the digital format realm at the present time. Personally, I think that’s a great idea, simply because the eBook market is exploding now and should continue to do well in the foreseeable future. Did you have any reservations about digital publishing when you signed with them?

Absolutely not! In fact, I submitted to Musa first because of the digital format. I had just gotten a Kindle for Christmas and was thrilled at being able to download anything I wanted to read in a matter of seconds. I was also very much taken by Musa’s dedication to building a brand and a reliable bank of literature for people who wanted something good to read, but perhaps something that wasn’t immediately findable in the general fiction stacks.

For instance, I love a Regency romance novel, but they aren’t that easy to find these days because they appeal to a specific audience. Books like The Blacksmith’s Daughter also have their specific audience—folks who love Anne McCaffrey for instance will probably enjoy the balance of fantasy and relationship in TBD. But sometimes the mainstream publishing world cares less about these specific audiences and more about making big money off the easily targeted markets.

So you’re saying that Musa could be compared to the indy film and music industries?

Exactly! This is indy publishing in many ways. But we’ve got a fantastic team of editors and artists at Musa that make sure that only the best (I giggle ecstatically that my book was selected!) gets published, so readers can feel good about purchasing a Musa book. They know they are going to get something good and something they want to read. I am very psyched about that! It is the future of publishing!

I couldn’t agree more. The last figures I read showed that the digital publishing industry would exceed $1 Billion (with a B) in sales this year. That’s huge. So tell us a little about the chronology. What steps led up to your contract with Musa Publishing?

I got so lucky! I happened to submit just at the right time when Musa was getting ready to launch. So all my stuff went at light speed. It was a matter of days from when I was asked to submit the complete manuscript to the offer of a contract. We did a super fast editing job as well—thank you, editor Angela Middaugh! And it was only a couple of months before publishing.

That’s amazing. You certainly can’t do that with a traditionally printed book. And we definitely are living in a world of instant gratification. Digital books seem to fit that need perfectly.

I’m looking at your cover and wondering if you had to furnish that or did Musa create it for you?

Oh, the fantastic artists at Musa created that from scratch for me! Thank you, Kelly and Lisa! I believe this is an original piece of Lisa Dovichi art! I submitted some basic information about setting, plot, and character, and she turned it into this beautiful graphic. Then Coreen Montagna typeset the book into a work of art—I am not kidding! Even the section dividers are made for this book. The art department is top notch!

Well, it’s apparent that Musa Publishing knows what they’re doing. They’re certainly popping up everywhere I look on the Internet these days, and they’ve created a lot of buzz in the digital publishing world in a short period of time.

But let’s get back to The Blacksmith’s Daughter before we turn off the lights and lock the doors. Where can our readers get a copy?

The Blacksmith’s Daughter is being released today, both under the YA Euterpe imprint and the Urania imprint. It is not specifically a YA novel, but it does have themes that appeal to a YA audience. I think it is a fantasy novel with elements of romance and adventure that will appeal to a wide audience.

Naturally, the book is available through Musa. And if you want a direct link to The Blacksmith's Daughter, your readers can go HERE. But it’s also available in a multitude of easily downloaded formats through Amazon.com and several other sites.

Well, it’s certainly serendipitous that you’re here today, since today is the release date. I know you’re excited. I can hear it in your voice. I want to thank you for being so generous and spending the time with us on this special day. I’ll close this up by asking my last question.

Are we having fun yet?

Yes! Loads of fun! Thanks!

So, there you have it. If you like YA romance, fantasy, and adventure, give this one a try and see what you think. You just may love it. And keep an eye on Arley Cole. I strongly suspect we're going to be seeing more from her.