Meet the Author: Mindy Haig

Enjoy getting to know, Mindy Haig.

Thank you for joining me today. Tell us in three words how you would best describe your writing.

Makes you wonder!

Share your favorite passage from your book in one paragraph or less.

From Glory:

“He is what the Father made him, Kay.  He is Sammael, the last son of the Glory of God and the only divine Angel ever given a will of his own.  He is the Taker of Souls.  He is temptation.  He is Immortal.  He is my brother.”

Sammael looked up from where he knelt before the descendent of the first son of dirt.  The will of his father come to fruition after so many lifetimes of denial.

Nate inclined his head to him.  Then he turned and he walked out of that place whole with Kay in his arms.

You’ve been presented with the opportunity to be a best-selling author but can never write again or write forever but never have a bestseller. Which scenario sounds more tempting?

Well, I write because it keeps my brain active.  I enjoy doing the research and the whole creative process.  I guess if I had to chose I would continue to write.

If you could live on a college campus and never leave or in a small town but be able to travel, which one would you choose?

That’s a hard choice.  If it was an actual town with a coffee shop, a diner, a grocery store, etc… and I could travel anywhere in the world, I would definitely choose that.  But I am a city slicker!  I like walking places.  I don’t like driving. I know I don’t have what it takes to live out in the rural country setting.  So if I have to drive 12 miles to the grocery store, that is a big no for me.

Okay, how about in an amusement park or an airport?

Airport.  I am a talker.  I talk to everyone.  And my one real talent in life is I am great at remembering names.  I can find someone I know everywhere!   Amusement park rides make me queasy, though I could probably live in Disney World for quite a while, especially if I could be one of the princesses!

And how about Australia or Scotland?

Probably Australia, but I haven’t been to either place so it’s hard to say!

Who is your favorite 90’s band (I’m thinking Counting Crows, Blink 182, Hootie & the Blowfish)?

I would say Pearl Jam.  Ten was the best album ever!  I like a huge variety of music, though.  I was a DJ in college, so there really is not much I won’t listen to.

Their new stuff is pretty good too 🙂

Is there any good band out there today that we’ll talk about in 50 years?

Hmm.  Maybe Muse, they have a good sound and they are creative in their use of technology.

And what about your favorite comedy on TV (My favorite is The Office)?

I don’t watch much television.  I would say my favorite comedy is The Big Bang Theory.

Honestly, I prefer cartoons to sitcoms!  Love cartoons! 

Is there anything you’re currently working on?

I currently have six works in progress!  Two are sequels: The White Room is the sequel to The Wishing Place,  Forsaken is the sequel to Glory.  One is a YA novel called Undead 101, one is a thriller and the other two are more paranormal romance, which is what I write most frequently.

Who is your favorite author and if you could ask him/her one question, what would it be?

Douglas Adams was my favorite author of all time!

Christopher Moore is my favorite author who is still writing.  If I could ask him anything,

I would want to know which of his characters he sees as himself.  I think all authors put something of themselves into their character, whether it is something they would have liked to have been or done, or something they did and enjoyed.  Christopher Moore has had some really outrageous characters so I would want to know which one he is.

Lightning round:

Ocean or mountains? Mountains (I am allergic to the ocean.  Weird, right?)

Yogurt or ice cream? Ice Cream, chocolate-peanut butter!

M & M’s or Skittles? M&M’s

The Daily Show or The Colbert Report? Neither

Happy or sad ending to a novel? Happy, always happy, but I am willing to take the long road to get to happy!

Beer or wine? Beer

Flying or driving? Flying

Hemingway or Twain? Poe.  Sorry, they just aren’t my style.

You’re able to sit down with any leader in world history. Who would you choose, what would you talk about, and would you rather have him over to your house or meet at their place of royalty?

Well, right now my answer would be King Charles II of England. I am writing a flash back to his reign into Forsaken, leading up to the Great Fire of London in 1666 so I would love to be at the palace at Whitehall and experience the court.  I would ask him about his affairs and his many illegitimate children.  I would ask him about the posthumous decapitation of Oliver Cromwell.  He’s a very interesting character, there are many things I would like to ask!

You can wish for one thing and one thing only, not world peace and no more wishes. What’s it gonna be? 🙂

Ok, this probably will seem off the wall, but if I could have one wish Round Rock, TX would have a Natatorium!  As the mom of 2 competitive swimmers, and a great lover of the sport, it has been my mission to try to make this happen!  I have said a number of times (and not even necessarily as a joke!) that if I could sell a million copies of my books, I would build it!  So there you have it.  I need to have a huge best seller so that the South Texas region of USA Swimming can have a Natatorium in Round Rock!  Swimming fans,Water Polo fans, Divers, pop right over to Amazon and buy my books! 

(Or I could hit the lotto.  We’d still get the Natatorium and the odds are probably similar!)

 

Mindy’s Bio

I am a graduate of Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey. I was born and raised in New Jersey so I am very much a city slicker. I moved to Florida to marry my sweetheart after college and marveled at how little there was to do and how much one had to drive to do it! But due to a job change and an abrupt move, we settled in Austin Texas where the mottos is ‘Keep Austin Weird’ and I try my best to uphold it!

I am the mother of 2 great kids and though writing has always been a pursuit I was interested in, being a Mommy got in the way for quite a few years. I decided I would give it a fair shake in 2009 and I haven’t been able to quit since.  I have a hard time stopping my ideas and when a seemingly great idea hits me – typically just as I am attempting to fall asleep – I am compelled to start an outline.

My 2 great talents are:

1. My remarkable ablilty to remember names – which has served me well.

2. My ability to remember lyrics from every song I ever heard in the 70’s and 80’s – which has not helped me in the slightest.

I have a quirky sense of humor and sometimes TV commercials crack me up.

I like the notion of things being ‘meant to be’ or somehow touched by the unexplainable, so that tends to be a theme in my writing. I also like the effect music has on one’s state of mind and the memories a song can recall.

The photo is me with my lovely daughter, Delaney taken in August at the Roman Baths, Bath, England.  Delaney is an aspiring graphic artist! and she has done the cover art for The Messenger, Glory, Cybilla and Forsaken (coming in 2104)

Mindy on Facebook

Mindy on Twitter

Mindy on Goodreads

Mindy’s Books

Meet the Author: Tina Blenke

Enjoy getting to know, Tina Blenke.

You’re a paranormal romance author. Tell us in three words how you would best describe your writing. 

Nerdy, thrilling, sexy

Share your favorite passage from your book in one paragraph or less.

There are great scenes where my two main characters are teasing each other and flirting but my favorite scene is where Athan looks at Evander and he really sees him for the first time. It’s as if he’d known him this entire time but never really saw him until that moment. His world view changes and he awakens on a different level.

You’ve been presented with the opportunity to be a best-selling author but can never write again or write forever but never have a bestseller. Which scenario sounds more tempting?

I would most definitely choose writing without ever having a best seller. No question.

If you could live on a college campus and never leave or in a small town but be able to travel, which one would you choose?

Small town and traveling! That’s pretty much what I do now.

Okay, how about in an amusement park or an airport?

Now, that’s a tougher question. I’ve undoubtedly spent more time in airports than I have in amusement parks, but since I love to travel, I’ll have to choose the airports. There’s so much more opportunity in an airport. So many stories walking by.

And how about England or Ireland?

Ooh, another tough one. I think I’ll have to choose Ireland first. Sorry England.

My wife and I went to Ireland last year for our 10-year anniversary. It was beautiful 🙂

Who is your favorite 90’s band (I’m thinking Counting Crows, Blink 182, Hootie & the Blowfish)?

One of my favorite bands from the 90s would have to be Bush. I’m a music fiend so I’ll just have to stop myself there or we’ll end up on a tangent.

Is there any good band out there today that we’ll talk about in 50 years?

Absolutely! I could talk about music forever, but I’m wondering if the Rolling Stones will still be alive…it’s quite possible.

And what about your favorite comedy on TV (My favorite is The Office)?

My current favorite comedy is the Big Bang Theory. I’m an uber nerd and that show tickles me.

Is there anything you’re currently working on?

I’m finishing up a M/F contemporary short story and another M/M novel length story. I’m also working on the outline for a potential sequel to Athan’s Kiss. I’m always working on something. I probably keep one chapter for every five that I write.

Who is your favorite author and if you could ask him/her one question, what would it be?

It’s funny that with today’s social media it’s easy to keep in touch with favorite authors and ask them anything. So, I’ll make this tougher than that. I think I’d like to talk with Shakespeare and ask him all about the young man that he wrote so many sonnets about. That would be a wonderful conversation.

Lightning round:

Ocean or mountains? Ocean

Yogurt or ice cream? Yogurt

Chocolate or sweet candy? Chocolate

The Daily Show or The Colbert Report? The Daily Show

Happy or sad ending to a novel? Happy ending

Beer or wine? Neither for me thanks!

Flying or driving? Flying

Whitman or Poe? Poe

You’re stranded on a desert island and you can take two things with you as well as two people. What and who are you bringing?

If you mean an uninhabited island, I would take my Shakespeare anthology, and I would hope to have my dad since he is all about survival and my sister for endless entertainment.

You’re able to sit down with any leader in world history. Who would you choose, what would you talk about, and would you rather have him/her over to your house or meet at their place of royalty?

I’d like to sit down with Lucy Stone. Though she wasn’t a leader of a country, she was the leader of women’s rights in the US. By women leading a new revolution for equal rights, this opened the door for others seeking equality, too. I’d like to talk to her about her motivations, greatest fears, today’s accomplishments, and those still left without a voice.

You can wish for one thing and one thing only, not world peace and no more wishes. What’s it gonna be? 🙂

Education. Free education with access, transportation, accommodations, and provided meals during their schooling to everyone all over the world who wants it and as long as they want it.

 

Some would say that I’ve lived an interesting life thus far. I’ve lived all over the world and most of the country. I love to read and I love to write. I want a happy ending for everything but I’m also obsessed with the paranormal. I love vampires, werewolves, ghosts, goblins, and zombies. Yeah, I have a complicated relationship with zombies. I’m the first to hide under the covers when watching a scary movie and yet I still watch them.

 

Connect with Tina below:

Tina on Facebook

Tina’s Blog

Get the book, Athan’s Kiss

Meet the Author: K.R. Thompson

Today, I have the pleasure of introducing you to an author who is as creative as they come. She’s taken on the task of bringing a people group back to life and mixing in a bit of magic along the say. Sit down, take off your shoes, and keep a close eye on them so they don’t suddenly disappear. Enjoy getting to know, K.R. Thompson.

You’re the author of HIDDEN MOON. Tell us what made you write this book and a little bit about the series, the Keeper Saga.

I had the opportunity to visit our local museum (Wolf Creek Indian Village and Museum), here in Bland County, VA, a few years. My imagination sparked to life when the tour guide told the story of the human remains that were found there when the interstate came through. Fourteen bodies—Indian—and an animal’s bones– possibly that of a wolf.

I became intrigued with the idea of an Indian tribe on the brink of extinction. What would happen if Nature had stepped in to help them? Would those fourteen souls have survived? And the wolf—what magic could he have brought to them?

I did some research and found an extinct tribe, the Wighcomocos. Then I started writing them back into life and gave them a legend and magic passed from father to son through each generation. They’re known as The Keepers, protectors of the woods and all that live within.

The Keeper Saga is a series that follows these protectors through the magic, mysteries, legends, and the danger that threatens to destroy their way of life.

Share your favorite passage from one of your books in one paragraph or less.

“Wherever there is life, there is magic. So many people just don’t see it. They look, but they don’t really see. Every tree… every animal…all full of life…full of Magic. It’s not just in this forest, but in everything…everywhere. The trick is to teach yourself to see.  When you learn to see, you’ll find things you’ve will have thought were only in your dreams…” Hidden Moon.

You’ve been presented with the opportunity to be a best-selling author but can never write again or write forever but never have a bestseller. Which scenario sounds more tempting?

Write forever! Money isn’t everything, and writing is too much fun to give up!

If you could live on a college campus and never leave or in a small town but be able to travel, which one would you choose?

I’m already in a small town (which I love!) and traveling to new places is always awesome!

Okay, how about in a zoo or in a museum?

Traveling to a zoo or a museum? I’d say both! I’m guessing we are talking about living arrangements though, so I’d have to go with museum! Though it would be less exciting, there would be less chance of being eaten whilst you sleep. 🙂

And what about Scotland or Canada?

Scotland!!! It’s number one on my bucket list of places to travel and explore!

Who is your favorite 90’s band (I’m thinking Counting Crows, Blink 182, Hootie & the Blowfish)?

Hootie!  (You must be psychic to have put that there!)

Is there any good band out there today that we’ll talk about in 50 years?

Aerosmith. I think Steven Tyler probably has another 50 years in him. I think they are either immortal already, or…very lucky!

And what about your favorite comedy on TV (My favorite is The Office)?

That 70s Show

Is there anything you’re currently working on?

Yes, the second installment of the Keeper Saga—Once Upon a Haunted Moon, slated for release this December. I’ve also started working on a detective mystery, which I hope to have out sometime within the next year.

Who is your favorite author and if you could ask him/her one question, what would it be?

Diana Gabaldon, author of the Outlander series—“How on earth do you keep all of the details straight?”  (She writes absolutely marvelous books, truly works of art…but they are enormous and the historical data alone in them is astounding!)

Lightning round:

Ocean or mountains? Mountains!

Peaches or plums? Plums!

M & M’s or Skittles? M & M’s! (Chocolate factor, there, that one was easy! 🙂

The Daily Show or The Colbert Report? Neither

Happy or sad ending to a novel? Happy! There’s enough sadness in the world.

Beer or wine? Wine

Flying or driving? Driving!

Hemingway or Thoreau? Hemingway

You’re stranded on a desert island and you can take two things with you as well as two people. What and who are you bringing?

My two people—my husband and son, whom I never want to be without. Only two things, wow!  Hmm. A swiss army knife and a fishing pole! Survival is always key.

You’re able to sit down with any leader in world history. Who would you choose, what would you talk about, and would you rather have him over to your house or meet at their place of royalty

I’d go back in time and meet George Washington. I’d want to see what he would say about how things are today. I’d go to his place!

You can wish for one thing and one thing only, not world peace and no more wishes. What’s it gonna be? 🙂

That the world learns to respect nature before it is too late.  It isn’t “world peace”, per se, but more of “world awareness”. I want there to still be a world for my little boy when he grows up, and for his kids after him.

 

K.R. Thompson

K.R. Thompson was raised in the mountains of southwest Virginia. She resides in Bland County with her husband, son, two cats, and an undeterminable amount of chickens.

When she is not writing, she is an avid reader and a firm believer in magic. She still watches for evidence of Bigfoot in the mud of Wolf Creek.

Connect with K.R. below:

K.R.’s Website

K.R. on Facebook

Meet the Author: Shannon A. Thompson

Today, we’re talking with the young adult author who has already written two books and a collection of poems. She’s smart, she’s talented, and she’s an English major- just like me. For that reason alone, I already like her 🙂 Enjoy getting to know an emerging star in the literary world.

You’re the author of two different novels and a collection of poems. Share a line/passage with us that the world needs to read and your favorite piece of work.

November Snow: I saw something I could never forget. I saw lifetimes of acknowledgement, fear, wisdom, questioning, and understanding in a child’s eye. It was the worst thing I would ever witness.

Minutes Before Sunset: One moment of true happiness was worth all the moments of pain.

My favorite piece of work: “The Stranger” by Albert Camus

You’ve been presented with the opportunity to be a best-selling author but can never write again or write forever but never have a bestseller. Which scenario sounds more tempting?

Write forever but never have a bestseller. Writing is what I do, and it’s an intrinsic part of my soul. It allows me to express myself and enjoy the world. I couldn’t stop writing even if I wanted to. I’m too passionate about it to give it up.

If you could live on a college campus and never leave or in a small town but be able to travel, which one would you choose?

Small town but be able to travel. I love traveling, and I have since I was very young. I’ve already moved over 15 times, so I’m used to a change of setting often. I’m not sure how to stay in one place for too long. I want to see the world.

 I feel ya! 🙂

Okay, how about England or France?

England unless it was like the movie “Midnight in Paris.” That would be my dream.

Who is your favorite 90’s band (I’m thinking Counting Crows, Blink 182, Hootie & the Blowfish)?

I generally listened to country in the 90’s like Shania Twain or Toby Keith, but in regards to bands…I really liked Red Hot Chili Peppers and the Goo Goo Dolls.

Yes, I love the Goo Goo Dolls!

And what about your favorite comedy on TV (I love The Office and Seinfeld)?

I don’t watch a lot of television, but I enjoy The Big Bang Theory. Sheldon is my favorite, and I’ve loved Penny since 8 Simple Rules.

Is there anything you’re currently working on?

I’m working on the editing process of “Seconds Before Sunrise” (Book 2 in a Timely Death series.) It’s scheduled to be published this fall, but I’m also writing more books. 

Who is your favorite author and if you could ask him/her one question, what would it be?

Right now I have an obsession with Cassandra Clare, but I’ve always loved Meg Cabot. If I could ask them anything, I would ask them what their favorite piece of writing they’d done was and why. I’d also love to find out how their imagination works. In regards to more adult writing, I love Kazuo Ishiguro. I really respect his way of revealing characters without ever saying what you’re thinking, and I’d love to ask him how he came up with such a graceful way of writing as if from an in-depth subconscious manner.

Lightning round:

Ocean or mountains? Depends on what ocean and what mountain.

Strawberries or blueberries? Strawberries

Skittles or M & M’s? Skittles

Happy or sad ending to a novel? Preferably happy—but sad can be the right one.

Beer or wine? I’m a wino.

Flying or driving? Driving (unless I’m literally flying like a superhero!)

Mystery or fantasy novel? Fantasy

You’re stranded on a desert island and you can take two things with you as well as two people. What and who are you bringing?

Objects: Journal and camera, so I can record my life in the hopes others will grow from it one day.

People: My dad and brother, because family means more to me than anything else.

You’re able to sit down with any president in United States history. Who would you choose, what would you talk about, and would you rather have him over to your house or meet at the White House?

Lincoln, because I find it interesting how he was so hated by the people from his time but loved from people of our time. I’d like to hear his thoughts on that, because of the basics of philosophy. And I’d rather meet up in the White House, because I’ve never been inside although I’ve seen it in person.

You can wish for one thing and one thing only (not world peace and no more wishes!), what’s it gonna be?

To be successful at inspiring others to follow their dreams and spread happiness through that. 

At sixteen, Shannon A Thompson became the young-adult author of “November Snow.” In 2012, Shannon became a published poet. Both of her published works are dedicated to lost loved ones, her mother and her roommate. Her latest novel, “Minutes Before Sunset,” released May 1st by AEC Stellar Publishing. The young-adult, paranormal romance is the first novel in A Timely Death series, and the second book is expected to release in Fall, 2013.

Currently, she’s finishing her senior year at the University of Kansas with a bachelor’s degree in English.

Shannon spends her free time writing, but she loves spending time with her father and brother. She also has one black cat named after her favorite actor, Humphrey Bogart.

Connect with Shannon below:

Shannon’s Website

Shannon on Facebook

Shannon on Twitter

Minutes Before Sunset links: Available now on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, Kobo, Diesel, Sony, and Apple.