AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Christina Benjamin

1      Tell me a about yourself. What got you started in writing?

I’ve always been enthralled with the art of storytelling. Everyone has a unique view of the world around them and hearing their thoughts and imaginations come to life through words is like magic.

I think I’ve always been a writer on some level. I just never knew I would end up writing books for a living. I pursued art and English in college and have an imagination that never sleeps, so writing novels was a natural progression.

How do you schedule your writing time? When do you write?

     That has been an adjustment now that I’m writing full time. It’s such a blessing to be able to pursue writing as my day job but that also means I’m my own boss. (Not easy for someone who loves PJ’s, couch time with her furbabies and Netflix!)

     I’ve gotten in the routine of writing everyday (M-F) from about 11am-7pm. If I’m on a roll or nearing the end of a project I’ll burn the midnight oil, but I try to make time to have a life outside my writing cave too.

     After I finish a project, I’ll give myself a night out with friends and a full day to binge watch my favorite shows.

How and where do you write? Do you prefer a lap top or some other method of getting your words down?

I write on a laptop in my little writing cave, or Harry Potter closet as I sometimes refer to it. We recently renovated our home and I turned a walk-in closet into my office. It’s perfect because I can lock myself away with no distractions and clock a lot of words.

4   What's your favorite part about writing? Your least favorite part about writing?

     Favorite part = no rules! Anything you can imagine goes. You can literally invent worlds and words too.

     Least Favorite part = Editing!!!! It’s not my strong suit, but I’m lucky to have an awesome team to work with and though edits aren’t my favorite, they do make me a better writer.

     How did you come up with your book idea? How long did it take you to write your book?

     Like I said, my imagination never sleeps. I pretty much dream my books, word for word, dialog and everything. It’s like having a constant movie in your head. It’s awesome to always have the ideas flowing. I wish I could write as fast as I can think.

     How long the process takes depends what kind of book I’m writing. For example, my fantasy series, The Geneva Project, took me a year for each novel. My romance novels typically go a lot faster because they’re contemporary and don’t require as much world building research.

        What types of marketing do you do to promote your writing?

     Oh gosh, that’s something that is always changing. I’m one part of Crown Atlantic Publishing, my indie publishing label, and my husband is the other half. He takes the lead on the cover design and marketing.

     Social media is always a big part of our marketing and l love that I get to connect with my readers that way as well.

        What are you currently working on? Do you have a new book out?

     A ton! I have two new books publishing in March and April. They’re part of a second chance romance series. Book 1, Retreat To Me, is about a writer and musician who find a second chance at love after WWII when an accidental twist of fate brings them together. Book 2, Retreat Again, follows descendants from book 1 as they meet under similar circumstances decades later.

     My most recently published book is my best selling YA title, The Practice Boyfriend. It’s such a fun modern read and I’ve loved fan reactions to the characters.

8      Do you have a project on the back burner? Tell me about it.

     I always do. I’m hoping to publish about ten titles in 2017, so there’s always something I’m working on next. I published a few novellas in 2016 that I’m hoping to find the time to develop into full-length novels in the future. And I’m hoping to expand The Practice Boyfriend into a series since fans seem to want more. I’m also excited that I’ll be continuing to write for Milly Taiden’s kindle world so look for at least two more Sassy Ink titles from me this year. And then there’s always my non-fiction travel series. I’d love to find time to get back to that. Traveling and writing are two of my favorite things brought together in my 99 Epic books.

       What would you tell a beginning writer who wants to publish but doesn't believe he/she has enough talent?

I would say do it! Nothing is standing in your way except for yourself. You have a unique voice. No one sees the world they way you do, so tell your story. Write from they heart. Success is found in creating what you love and sharing it with others.

***

 A Question for Kathryn:

What’s your go to source for finding your next read? There are so many amazing books out there and I want to read them all, but how do you choose? For me I rely on recommendations from friends, but I know there are great blogs, vlogs, newsletters and bookstagram accounts out there.

Great question; one I've never been asked here before.

Here goes:

You know those booklets you get through the mail from bookstores with the new books listed? Well, I go through those and then put the books on hold at the library that I like - there's usually a waiting list. When the library informs me that the book is in, I pick it up and read it. If I love it, I also buy it. If it was okay, I don't. I'm pretty cheap when it comes to books and only purchase those I like - both fiction and nonfiction. I also check the shelves of the for sale books as I leave the library. I have found gems within these bookshelves, and most of the books I've picked up have been a whopping 50 cents a piece. My latest find? Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt.

***

The Practice Boyfriend

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZdsG7bakDI

Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.com/Practice-Boyfriend-Book-ebook/dp/B01N1V3FPF

Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Christina-Benjamin/e/B009UZM14O

Bio & Social Links:

Christina Benjamin is best known for her wildly popular Young Adult series, The Geneva Project.
Her best-selling novels,The Practice Boyfriend & The Geneva Project - Truth, has won multiple awards and stolen the hearts of YA readers. 
Christina loves to read and write across genres. YA is her favorite but she's a sucker for a good love story. Don't miss her romance, paranormal and historical fiction, as well as the multiple anthologies she's been a part of. 

Follow her at:
Facebook @ChristinaBenjaminAuthor
Twitter @authorcbenjamin
Instagram @authorcbenjamin
Pinterest @authorcbenjamin
Blog http://christinabenjaminauthor.com/
Web http://www.thegenevaprojectbook.com/
Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6588515.Christina_Benjamin

Awards:
FAPA President's Gold Medalist (YA Fiction)

London Book Festival - Runner-Up (Young Adult Category)

Litpik Top Choice Award - (YA fiction)

Reader's Favorite Silver Medalist - (YA Fiction)

Tybee Island Book Award Gold Medalist - (YA Fiction)

Christina Benjamin Author E  christina@thegenevaprojectbook.com  W  www.thegenevaprojectbook.com

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	Order Autographed Books here:Christina's Book Store

"The world is full of magic, especially between the pages of a good book."

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Michael Jensen

1      Tell me a about yourself. What got you started in writing?

I’ve been writing as long as I can remember. Shortly after I learned how to read I started to keep a diary. The majority of my writing was for myself so I didn’t know I was any good at writing until I took a creative writing class in collage.  I also enjoy songwriting and have written a few musicals. Along with writing I also love to sing. I work as a probation officer for my day job which is a great source of inspiration and character study.

How do you schedule your writing time? When do you write?

I find my best work comes in the mornings just after I wake up.  That’s when I’m most creative.  I have to schedule it or I find life gets in the way. If I don’t set the time aside to write it doesn’t happen.   

     How and where do you write? Do you prefer a lap top or some other method of getting your words down?

I do most of my writing on my laptop in my living room at home. When I’m in the story development stage of writing I will often hand write my ideas on note cards.  I also use an excel spreadsheet to keep my ideas organized. 

4.     What's your favorite part about writing? Your least favorite part about writing?

Get the Book at Amazon

My favorite thing about writing is blowing my mind, reaching in to the brightest and darkest parts of me to create and experience things I might never know in real life.  There is nothing about writing that I don’t love.  I wish I had more time to commit to it.  But I will always write and I have many more stories inside me that will be told.  

5.     How did you come up with your book idea? How long did it take you to write your book?

     I started the story nearly a decade ago. I dreamed I died and came back as a ghost. Nobody could see or hear me.  It was surreal and I couldn’t wait to write about it. It wasn’t until I met my co-author David Powers King that that story developed into what it is now.  We worked on it for a couple years and we got our book deal with Scholastic almost a year after it was completed.

6.   What types of marketing do you do to promote your writing?

     Scholastic does a great job promoting Woven at the school book fairs.  David and I both have social media outlets that also help to promote the story. 

7.     What are you currently working on? Do you have a new book out?

I don’t have anything new out… yet. David and I are currently working on a sequel to Woven.   

8.     Do you have a project on the back burner? Tell me about it.

I always have something on the back burner.  I’m getting ready to start my middle grade wizard series. It’s nothing like Harry Potter, but it does have wizards and a world of magic.

9.     What would you tell a beginning writer who wants to publish but doesn't believe he/she has enough talent?

     That’s exactly what I would tell them. Believe in yourself.  Your story is worth telling. Educate yourself, learn your craft well, then tell the story you were born to tell.

***
Thank you, Michael!

FRIDAY FLICKS: Shelley by Cynthia P. Willow

Coming Soon at Amazon!

http://www.amazon.com/Shelley-Christian-Paranormal-Cynthia-Willow-ebook/dp/B01CC9UJZW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1457040235&sr=8-1&keywords=cynthia+willow

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: JoAnne Keltner

Find out why JoAnne begins her writing process by hand and why she loves revision.

Tell me a about yourself. What got you started in writing?

I was born on the South Side of Chicago and lived in the basement flat of my great aunt's two-flat. I was an only child, a dreamer, who played alone for hours in the attic and in the backyard. I guess the writing started in my head. I've wanted to write as long as I can remember. I think the first moment I knew I wanted to write was in the first grade, when I made my first book out of manila paper and crayons. I was also inspired to write by my father who once told me a story about his friend and him being locked inside a haunted house. He had me at the edge of my seat with this story. Afterwards when he told me he made it up, I knew that I wanted to make up stories too. But stories didn't come to me until high school, starting with pure symbolism and fantasy, and then in my twenties and thirties with realism. At forty, I finally found my genre—YA paranormal and fantasy.

How and where do you write? Do you prefer a laptop or do you prefer writing freehand?

When I wrote Obsession, I wrote it first by hand in a composition notebook. I didn't think at the time I could compose at a keyboard. I needed that hand-to-brain connection. But while revising Obsession, I learned that I could craft new scenes at the keyboard.

I've now evolved to a mixture of writing at the computer and writing by hand. Writing by hand really helps me get into the character's head and is helpful when writing introspective parts or parts in which the character is recapping what happened and how he or she feels about it. I also write by hand when using my journal to brainstorm and work out problem scenes.

Right now, I prefer writing at my desk because of the fast computer and big display. If I had a decent laptop (I have a net bookL), I would write everywhere—patio, yard, living room, kitchen table—wherever it's quiet.

What's your favorite part about writing? Your least favorite part about writing?

My favorite part of writing is revision. I know, it should be the least favorite, but at the revision stage you have the raw material down and have something to reassess and work with. Plus, the novel is closest to its finished form, and that feels good. I don't think I have a least favorite part of writing. It's all fun.

How do you come up with your characters? Why would readers want to get to know them?

I can't say exactly how I come up with my characters. My story ideas come from reoccurring dreams. I guess I have an inner sense of who the character should be—what they look like, how they act. Maybe I get that from the personas in my dreams. I guess I look for characters that fit the mood of the story and who will interact with the conflict in interesting ways. Even after I have an idea of who the character should be, I spend time developing the character further—or maybe you can say I get to know the character further, for example, what happened in the character's past to make the character the way he or she is.

I think the main characters I've developed so far tap into real feelings and qualms that we can all relate to. My characters are not perfect. They make mistakes, and they don't have flawless personalities. They could be spoiled, controlling, vulnerable—but they always learn from their mistakes and grow.

What types of marketing do you do to promote your writing?

I hate marketing. I hate saying "Buy my book." I do, however, want people to know that my book exists and where to find it if they are interested. I do have a Twitter account and try to tweet at least every week about Obsession. But, to me, it feels like shouting into a void. I also have a Facebook page for Obsession. I would like to use that page to engage with my readers. The thing I love about Facebook is being able to meet and be in touch with many people. I love doing giveaways. My goal is to increase the number of books I'm giving away for each. I believe that word of mouth is the best way to market a book.

How do you schedule your writing time? When do you write?

Because I also work as a freelance technical editor, the times I have to write shift according to my work load. If I've edited all day, I may or may not write for an hour after dinner. If I've had a full week of editing work, I'll spend time on the weekend to write or revise my work. If I don't have editing work for the day, I'll spend the day writing or revising. My best times to write are in the morning and in the evening. But typically, I can write any time as long as I've quieted my mind first.

What are you currently working on? Do you have a new book out?

I am currently planning a series of books to follow an urban-fantasy novel I wrote called Gargoyled.

Do you have a project on the back burner? Tell me about it.

My back-burner project is a contemporary science fiction novel. Yes, this is different than ghosts, paranormal, and fantasy that I've written about in the past. It will be told in a different narrative than my other three novels. The others were told in the first person present. This novel will be in first person past. I want the main character to be able to compare how she felt then with how she feels now.

What would you tell a beginning writer who wants to publish but doesn't believe he/she has enough talent?

First of all, you have to believe in yourself. It will energize your writing. Second of all, if you define talent as writing flowing prose or great metaphors, then I'd say this type of talent isn't mandatory to publish. What you need is to learn how to craft a great story and how to write clean prose. These are skills, and skills are learned, practiced, and honed.

***

Thank you, JoAnne. Learn more about JoAnne here:

Social Sites

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ObsessionYAGhostStoryMystery

Twitter: @JoAnneKeltner

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18454288-obsession

OBSESSION can be purchased as an eBook from:

Amazon (http://amzn.to/19jLNTC)

Barnes and Noble (http://bit.ly/GLsiZG)

Musa Publishing (http://bit.ly/GOamgE)

CHANGING GENRES: A Guest Post

Hello, readers and writers!

Today, I'm offering a guest post. Since I've begun to dabble in book reviews on this site, I figured, what the heck! Let's expand the horizons!
 

Robin Leigh Morgan has published her first book--and some of us know exactly how that feels...Exciting, scary and altogether NEW. The book? I Kissed a Ghost.

Paperback is available at Amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/Kissed-Ghost-Robin-Leigh-Morgan/dp/1480030031 

And now...to the guest post!

Some of us who have chosen to write fiction come from a variety of places. And by a variety of places I'm not referring to a physical location, I'm referring to our writing experiences.

There are some of us who have enjoyed writing since we were a child, and each year by writing something in school it improved. For some of us, it continued until we graduated college and began working. Some of us entered the work force taking jobs which required us to write, whether it was procedures, handbooks/manuals, or news stories. But all of these are non-fiction, and each one has a set of "rules" which need to be followed to write something well enough to be acceptable.

As for myself, while my regular job did not require me to write, for eleven years I wrote articles [commentaries/viewpoints] of what was happening in my community and my feelings about it. When I started to write these items my writing skills were not honed, I didn’t have my ideas organized in a tight manner, although my writing had been informative.  By the time I’d written my last item, I’d become quite adept at it.

When I started to write fiction, I somehow drifted to writing a contemporary romance story with a paranormal element running through the storyline, but after almost 9 years I still hadn’t completed it. That is, until someone suggested I should write for a much younger audience; which is what I did, culminating in my first YA Paranormal/Time Travel/First Kiss romance novel, entitled “I Kissed a Ghost.”

Anyway, making the transition from non-fiction to fiction I've had to learn a new set of rules in how to write. Most of these involved dialogue, showing not telling; where before I just told. I now had to learn about the use of tags. I had to learn not to be overly descriptive of something, but allow my reader to create the image for themselves in their minds. In the beginning I found it hard to break my old writing habits. Now I'm finding myself with these habits essentially gone. The biggest issue I still have and am trying to get a good handle on, is POV [Point of View]. Regardless of what's happening or being said it has to be in one's character's perspective, and you can't flip-flop between two characters within a scene, there needs to be a transition from one character to another.

All these things have helped me mold myself into the author I’m today. I've also learned there are additional rules within a genre depending on the sub-genre you've decided to write in. These rules apply to the dialogue spoken which needs to be true to the time period you're writing in, as well as how your characters are dressed, and their titles if any, as is the case with the regencies sub-genre of romance novels.

So as you can see writing is not mere a string of words you put together, there are rules which need to be followed if you’re to be well received by your readers.  

If you have any questions, I’d love to hear from you.

***

 

Robin can be reached at: rlmorgan@51@yahoo.com 



Paperback is available at Amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/Kissed-Ghost-Robin-Leigh-Morgan/dp/1480030031  

 

From Amazon: 

In "I Kissed a Ghost", Mary gets a new classmate named Jonathan who’s a great baseball player and to get on the team, he needs Mary’s help to improve his grades. Six months later when she learns she’s moving, she decides to give him something special--a first kiss. Moving into her new home she soon discovers it has a ghost named George, her age, who takes her on numerous trips to the past of a hundred years ago. As she meets children her own age, everyone teases her about her house being haunted, but no one will go inside. Mary likes his help doing her math homework, writing her reports, and taking her back in time. George and Mary’s interaction grows and she eventually gives him a quick peck on his lips while they’re in the past, which is the only place George is a real boy, for having done something special for her. Can Mary kiss George again at the special date and time he needs to be kissed? What happens afterwards if she does? The answers are all in the book!

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