Author Interview- Sandy Windham, Pink Tourmaline

😊😊😊I had the privilege to interview my friend, and fellow debut author, Sandy Windham about her book, Pink Tourmaline. It is going to be released December 5! So exciting. Sandy has been a friend and my critique partner for just over 3 years now. We met on the NaNoWriMo pen pal forums and have worked to support each other in our dreams to be writers.

 

1) Tell us a little about your book: It’s part historical romance, part time-travel caper. The story is about Quinn and her brother Michael who get stuck in the Los Angeles of the 1920s. To get home they have to track down their great-grandmother who’s spell landed them there in the first place. Except once they start looking for her, they discover everything they thought they knew about their family’s history is wrong. As if that’s not enough Quinn then falls in love with Rafael, a 1920s-movie star who helps them in their search.

 

2) Who are some of your favorite authors? I like different genres so there’s a few! I always liked Stephen King and Harlan Coben. I read all of Tracy Chevalier’s novels and I also love Philippa Gregory and Isabel Allende.

 

3) Who are some authors in your genre that inspire you? That’s difficult because this novel is a mix of genres. I think all the authors I mentioned above have served as inspiration in one way or another.

 

4) What are some great books you’ve read recently? 

The last book I finished is Love is Death – The Afterdeath Book 1 by L.P Masters which was great. The Japanese Lover by Isabelle Allende was good too and I’m looking forward to reading the third installment of Witches of Coolersville!

 

5) What types of books do you enjoy in your downtime? I tend to go through phases. Currently I’m going through a non-fiction phase though before that I read a lot of historical novels.

 

6) What sort of research did you do to write this book? I am very interested in crystals and the supernatural in general so I used a lot of books and material I already had. I also love the 1920s and silent films in particular so I read and watched biographies of movie stars from that time. I also researched life in the 20s in general and in Los Angeles in particular.

 

7) What are you working on now? I’m working on a sequel to The Pink Tourmaline. The working title is The Rose Quartz, in keeping with the crystal theme.

 

8) Is your book a stand-alone or series? It was intended as a stand-alone, but it will now be a series. I’m hoping to complete three novels in total.

 

9) What started you down the path of writing? 

It’s something I’ve always done. As a child I’d make up stories for my cousins and I to act out. As a teenager, I started to write poems and short stories and eventually the short stories evolved into full length novels.

 

10) How did you break into the world of publishing? 

It was a long road. I published a few poems and a short story before this but I didn’t have any luck with either of my two previous stories. The first one got nothing but rejections. The second generated a bit of interest from agents, but not much and it went nowhere. The Pink Tourmaline got several requests from agents and editors. In the end it didn’t land an agent and I was about to give up when I realized I could submit to small publishers without an agent. I went that route, got a few requests and eventually I got an offer from The Wild Rose Press.

 

11) As a new author, what is your favorite part of the writing/publishing process? Least favorite? 

Least favorite… rejections and bad reviews.

Favorite part is when the story comes together and when people like what you’ve written.

 

12) What does your writing space look like? I don’t have a designated writing area. I do have a desk but it’s not comfortable so I usually sit in a recliner with the laptop on my lap or on the floor with it perched on the coffee table.

 

13) What is your go-to writing snack/beverage? Coffee… I drink way too much of it. I usually drink iced coffee (made with the leftover coffee from breakfast!) in the afternoon. Surprisingly it doesn’t keep me up! I must be immune to the caffeine by now.

 

14) Are you a planner (detailed outline, have to know what happens) or pantser? (Flying by the seat of your pants with no plan at all) 

I start out with a general idea of what I want to happen and when I want it to happen, but I don’t make an outline. Sometimes midway through writing I get stuck and then I do make a little list with what I want to happen, but generally I just write as I go. This can be messy and I wish I was more organized.

 

15) When did you start writing? Was it something you started as a kid? When did you start seeking it professionally?  I wrote my first poem when I was…12 or 13. Before that I’d make up stories in my head and daydream a lot. I always had an active imagination. I didn’t write my first novel until 2001. That’s around the time I started sending out my poems to publishers and got one published in an anthology in the UK.

 

16) What do you do in your free time when you’re not writing? I like to read when I have the time. I also do artwork, acrylic painting especially and I like to spend time with friends. Next year I want to get back to learning languages. I speak English and German fluently and I have some basic knowledge of Hebrew which I’d like to improve. I also want to learn Spanish and French, if I find the time! Oh yes, I’d love to learn an instrument too!

 

17) What are your top three books of all time? That’s a hard question as they change frequently. If I have to choose it would be House of Spirits by Isabelle Allende, Bag of Bones by Stephen King, and What dreams may come by Richard Matheson.

 

18) Can you recommend any new or upcoming authors?

L.P Masters just published her debut novel, so that is one to check out for sure and of course Carey Starkey. I already read book two of the Witches of Coolersville series and I can only recommend it!  My friend Kristen Howe writes very exciting thrillers which I hope will find a publisher soon too.

 

19) Is there anything about the writing life that you think is misunderstood by the public?  The amount of time it takes to not just write and edit, but especially to query. People don’t understand how much competition there is and how time consuming and soul crushing it can be. Some weeks you might get a wave of rejections, other weeks you might get two requests at once only to have those turn into rejections. It’s very difficult and you get to the point where you just don’t want to do it anymore.

 

 20) Do you write full time or do you have a “Day Job?” I have a day job. I work in an RV park in the office as an admin.

 

21) What are some of the challenges you faced on the road to publication? 

The waiting and the rejections are hard. Plus, you have to be so careful because there are scammers out there who prey on up and coming writers who want to see their work in print.

 

22) Are there any tips you can give to aspiring writers? 

Understand how difficult and complex the publishing industry is. Just because you do not get an offer or you get rejected doesn’t mean your novel is not good.  Fortunately, there are so many ways to get published these days. Many great books I’ve read recently were self-published. So don’t give up!

 

 

Special thanks to Sandy for answering these questions! Keep an eye out for her book when it's out on December 5. You can pre-order the Kindle version now and print will be available on release day. I'm certainly adding it to my list. ^_^

My Book is Out At Last!

Here it is! My book! I finally published it! Here's a look at my final cover design for my first book in the Witches of Coolersville series. 140 pages, 2 years of hard work, 1 1/2 years of talking about publishing, and I finally did it. I was going to originally have it out after Easter but I couldn't wait.

I took the leap. After trying and modifying for nearly a week, I did it! I'm so happy that this day has finally arrived.

I'm currently working on my sequel, although it's coming along slower than I'd like. But, now that book 1 is out, I will hopefully have more motivation to work on the next.

Here's the link for the physical book- http://www.amazon.com/Witches-Coolersville-Book/dp/1505607566/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1458531235&sr=1-1

Here is the link to the Kindle e-book- http://www.amazon.com/Witches-Coolersville-Book-ebook/dp/B01D81RJ0Q/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1458531235&sr=1-2

February 2015 Wrap-Up

Hello! Welcome to another wrap-up post. I read one book, started one book, and listened to an audio book for the month of February.

First, I completed Throne of Glass! It took me longer than I would have liked but it was so worth it! The sleepless nights I experienced were worth it! The writing was amazing. The characters were incredible and stand out so much in my memory. The plot was mind-blowing! I did a full review on my blog here. It starts off with no spoilers and gets more in depth with a few spoilers.

Next, I began a reread. I am rereading Scarlet by AC Gaughen. I did a video review on my YouTube channel so click here if you want to watch it. I am reading this a second time because I want to continue on in the trilogy. I have the second book, Lady Thief. I've had it for months. And book 3 comes out in May so I wanted to catch up and after reading Throne of Glass I wanted to tone things down a bit before diving into more fantasy. I was unable to complete it in February but I will for March and I will also read Lady Thief in March in order to stay on track with my reading challenge. I am about 2/3 complete and I will probably go read some more before bed. This was another book that cause me many sleepless nights but in that good, exciting way when you read books you love and don't want to put down. But, I wanted to refresh my memory so I can continue the series.

Suddenly, it was February 26! Only two days left in the month. How the heck am I going to read a book in two days with my work schedule? I don't want to fall behind in my reading challenge because that starts the whole domino effect and I end up reading 5 books all year.

Solution- Audio book! I listened to the Resurrection Casket. It's a Doctor Who book read by David Tennant. It is basically a Treasure Island in space story and it's so cute. I really enjoyed it. I've listened to it a number of times.

For March, I will complete Scarlet and read Lady Thief. If I can squeeze in a 3rd book, at least to start, bonus.

I'm off to read another chapter before sleep.

Happy reading!
~Carey

What I Read In January 2015

I was going to do a video about this but many of my books are not currently at home. I'm slowly moving and my book collection is at my future home.
For the month of January, I read 2 books which keeps me on track for my Goodreads goal of 24 this year. I started 3, 1 of which I completely abandoned until later in the year and I'll explain why. 1 I think I have to be really in the mood to continue. And the other I'm so mad I left it because I'm dying to continue!

First book I read was The White Queen by Philippa Gregory. This book is the first in the Cousins War series. I reviewed this book in a previous post so I am not going to go into much detail but I enjoyed it and gave it 3.5/5 stars. I really enjoyed the concept of the story. The characters were wonderful and since it's based on history, I want to know more facts. There's just a touch of the supernatural in it for me to really love and, if you're a dreamer like me, you almost want to believe things happened like that. My problem was the pacing of the story was off. There would be all this action and romance and then nothing for several pages. But, I do want to finish the series. I just wasn't blown away enough to say, "Oh man, I have to read the next one now!" like I have with some of her previous books.

The next book I read, and the second I completed was Witch Child by Celia Rees. I first heard about this from the lovely Dawn Kurtagich. She did a Top 5 Historical Books video in December and mentioned it. It is the story of Mary who is a young woman living in England in the late 1650s and she is a witch. She was raised by her grandmother and practices healing. Her grandmother would tell peoples fortunes along with being a healer herself and tell supernatural stories but then she is persecuted as a witch and horribly killed. Mary flees to the New World with a Puritan community and has to try and blend in. The book is told as her diary so you see her thoughts and opinions about these people. Some she likes and some she doesn't and usually those people feel the same. What I liked about this book was similar to White Queen. The writing is amazing. I was so enthralled in her journey and her struggle to be the meek little Puritan girl when she is really very outspoken and not like the others at all. There was just enough magic to make it believable. Sure, there were the cliche witch trial scenes with the screaming girls that you just want to smack in the face but witch trial stories are like romance novels. There's only so many ways you can describe certain scenes so they're going to sound hokey and cliche. But, it's not overwhelmed with it like in the Crucible. This book got 5/5 stars from me.

The book that I abandoned was called Ouija by Katharine Turner. This was an on-a-whim buy for me. I don't really go for scary stories and certainly will never watch the movie because I heard it was a gawd-awful adaptation. But, this is not a book to be read at night. I picked it up one night because I was too lazy to go in the other room and get Witch Child out of my purse so I grabbed something within reach in the bedroom. I read about 3 chapters. Maybe 4? Don't remember. Had to put it down because I just started feeling weird and there was already a death. *Sorry, spoilers* And then that whole rest of the night I couldn't sleep and when I did sleep I had weird dreams. So, this will be a day time only read closer to Halloween and then I will watch lots of Disney movies before bed. But, I included the Amazon link if you are interested anyway.

Another book I began but is on hold is Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins. I thought with Valentine's Day coming up I'd go for a cute contemporary and I had heard a lot of great things about this book and the 2 companion/sequels in the trilogy. But, I just couldn't get into it that much. I don't mean it's bad. It's an interesting story and I'm starting to like the characters. Anna's awkwardness is definitely something I can relate to because I was a very awkward teen... and 20-something... and 30-something. ^^; But, I just couldn't stay hooked yet. So, I will try again down the road.

Finally, the book I'm really enjoying but I left it at my future home and won't get to read it again until Friday. It is Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas! I already know I want the next books. There are 2 out plus the prequel novellas and there are 3 more still to come according to Goodreads! I haven't gotten too far into it yet but I'm loving everything so far. The writing is awesome. The characters are fascinating and some you either one to love or hit. Some, like our lovely main Celaena, you can't quite figure out. I love how it's mostly from her story but then you get glimpses into Prince Dorian or Chaol (pronounced Kale as I found out from a review video). I had a heart-stopping moment and this shows what a geek I am. Chaol is giving her a tour of the castle and they find the library and he tells her it contains over ONE MILLION BOOKS! Oh! I read that at work. My heart stopped, I nearly fell out of my chair. I actually sighed out loud and had to set the book down to process that. People were probably staring at me but I didn't care. I can't wait to keep reading and I need to get my hands on the rest of the series!! I'll do a proper review either here or on my YouTube channel when I'm reading.

So, that's my January 2015 reading wrap-up. I'll have another at the end of February. In the meantime, keep an eye out for writing updates and other posts. Check out my social media and YouTube. Have a great night. Hope where you're at is warm and wonderful because here it's sub-zero and snowing. But, hey, book and a blanket weather!

Bye! ^.~
Carey

Book Review: The White Queen

Book- The White Queen
Author- Philippa Gregory
Goodreads Rating- 3 Stars
Actual Rating- 3.5 Stars

Oh, hey! This is my 100th post on my blog! Woo!

I love Philippa Gregory books so when I saw this series, nearly the whole thing, at Half-Price Books, I grabbed it and couldn't wait to read it. Her telling of historical events, obviously embellished because it's fiction has always interested me and the facts she uses gets me interested enough to research the time period more.

This first book in the Cousins War series was no exception. I have read and watched plenty of things about the Tudors but I just sort of glossed over the people before them and the story behind their rise to power. This first book focuses on Elizabeth Woodville, the mother of Elizabeth of York who became the wife of Henry Tudor or Henry VII. It's a beautiful tale with love and court drama and huge battles with a touch of fantasy. Elizabeth's family have a tradition in her mother's side where they believe they are descendants of a water goddess and practice magic. This, of course, is forbidden during this time but they pull it off by being discrete and the high position Elizabeth eventually rises to helps shield her from question... for the most part.

I read in the author's not that in Philippa Gregory's research, this was a fact and so she capitalized on it in her story in a way you'll have to read for yourself because I don't want to give too much away.

Elizabeth Woodville is a historical figure who seems to be a footnote in a lot of sources. I'm interested to read some more about her and find out why. I like the way she is portrayed in this story. A highly passionate, highly ambitious woman. She had a great love for her husband and her family. Much mystery still surrounds the fate of her boys, known now as the Princes of the Tower. This story mixed fact with fantasy enough to peek my interest in her and her family.

There were parts in this book that did get slow and boring. It took me a while to finish it. (I also started it around the holidays so that didn't help either) But, despite that, I am still interested enough to continue reading in the series and I can't wait to see what book 2 has in store.

Scarlet- book review (spoiler free version)

I just finished reading Scarlet, by A.C. Gaughen and it was AMAZING!!!! I have never flown through a book so fast. I can't wait to get my hands on the next one.

Scarlet is a creative retelling of the Robin Hood legends. In this story, Robin's friend and band mate, Will Scarlet is actually a girl with several secrets of her own that slowly come to light throughout the story.

The writing is imaginative and the language is fascinating. The story is told from Scarlet's view so she gives you glimpses of what her life was like before she hooked up with Robin and the boys.

The author's interpretation of the characters that we've all seen over and over in movies and television is fun and original yet still holds true to the legends and traditional stories. The relationship between the characters is very believable. And Scarlet's struggle to be treated like an equal is understandable, especially for the time period. When people find out she is a girl, they're all genuinely shocked that she is capable of everything she does.

The villain is the typical nasty Sherriff of Nottinghamshire who works for the equally nasty Prince John who over taxes the people to fund the king's crusades as well as his own greed. It's the story we've all heard before. But when a new thief takers comes to town, things become complicated. The danger increases dramatically. Secrets come spilling out and friendships are at risk. (To read more, read the spoiler version)

I loved this story and I can't wait to get my hands on Lady Thief. I give this a 5 out of 5 stars because I couldn't not put it down.

Thanks for reading and let me know if you read this book as well and what you thought. No spoilers, please. There's a separate post for that.

Have a great day!
Carey.